Lemmons intermingles a contemporary tale about injustice with references to Nathaniel Hawthorne's life and writing, and sprinkles the story with symbolic references to the biblical character, Job. Professor Joseph Barnes is attractive, intelligent, and successful---beloved by his students and colleagues. Despite her professional reservations, Alexis---the dean of Joe's college---can't deny her feelings for him. But Joe seems to have something of a dark past, and the dean's tough secretary, Lucy, takes it on herself to investigate, concentrating on Joe's 12-year absence from academia. When Joe's career begins to crumble, Alexis is put in a terrible position. Lemmons does well painting the camaraderie between academics, and depicting their trials and tribulations. Some readers will appreciate his look at God and the problem of unjust suffering.