When does forgetting become not knowing one forgets? Edith Martin, 78, must make a momentous decision before it is too late. Only to Leo Martin, her longtime friend, does Edith confide her intention. In Hebraic legend there are thirty-six Just Men chosen by God to take on the world's suffering. Is Leo one of them? This novel is about individual choice, the demands of friendship, and the dilemma of being human.