Homer Wells had been raised from birth in the boys' division of the orphanage at St. Cloud's, Maine. Now a young man, he was the protege of Dr. Wilbur Larch, the orphanage physician and director. Dr. Larch provides care and comfort to the troubled mothers who seek his help, either by delivering and taking in their unwanted babies or by performing illegal abortions. Meticulously trained in medicine by Dr. Larch, Homer assists in the former, but draws the line at the latter. Then a young man brings his beautiful fiancee to Dr. Larch for an abortion, and everything about the couple beckons Homer to the wide world outside the orphanage--a world whose complexities will variously challenge, confound, and confirm the lessons he learned at St. Cloud's. --back cover