Cowpet Bay, a vacationing haven for the privileged in St. Th omas, US Virgin Islands, is the meeting ground between fi ve people-three men and two women-whose interaction leads to major changes in their lives. A Wall Street banker, his younger mistress-an aspiring academic-a retired professor of literature, a German graduate student of philosophy, and a local waitress all find their lives to be intertwined in a way that none expected. As their collective story unfolds, the events are viewed sequentially from the standpoint of each, revealing their impact not only on each but also, ultimately, on the whole bay community.