Straddling the cultural divide between his Greek roots and American birth, Alex Poulos can't seem to get traction to move on with his life. Feeling trapped and powerless, he abandons his immigrant parents and the Catholic woman he loves to face an uncertain future as a tin can sailor during the Korean War. His unresolved problems follow him, however, and he encounters more challenges, sometimes with hilarious results. After an ill-fated attack in North Korea, he becomes an unwilling and unlikely Navy Hero. Poulos sees the fiasco as a symbol of the mess he has made of his own life, but he refuses to become a pawn, not only for the ship and her crew, but also for those he left behind as he struggles to reconcile the forces surrounding him. Events unfold like a detective story, both for the reader and the young sailor who, in his quest for truth and meaning, uncovers a family secret that finally enables him to rebuild his life.