These people live in Cooper Station, U. S. A. Anthony Cooper , nephew of the owners of Cooper's Mills, who found his summer's amusement in a violent and illicit love affair... Chris Pappas , the guy from the wrong side of the tracks, who might lose his job for a "mistake" he made in high school... Doris Palmer ,wife of a wealthy manufacturer, who used her money to hide a secret that only the town doctor--and perhaps Chris--knew for a fact... David Strong , the music teacher, who hated women but couldn't admit--even to himself--the reason why... Beneath the semmingly calm surface of this smug New England community, their turbulent passions and fears begin to boil, exploding the hypocrisy hidden behind the guise of the respectable Tight White Collar .