Noah Solloway is a Brooklyn writer and schoolteacher who has been with his wife Helen for twenty years. They have four children and are beholden to Helen's wealthy father, a famous novelist, for their spacious brownstone. Noah's first novel was published to mixed reviews, and he struggles to complete the follow-up under the withering eye of his Montauk-based father-in-law. The appearance of a beautiful young waitress in his life is a tempting distraction and a serious threat to everything he has.