A group of men who live by their hands, be that in work or violence confront Douggie, a young man who has returned to the small fishing town where they all grew up. Everyone knows everyone in Gloucester and newcomers need to prove themselves. Douggie must prove to all concerned that he was born in Gloucester and that his mother lived and died there. In doing so, he is drawn into a mystery that threatens to reveal secrets from everyone's past, and tells a powerful story about unfinished wars that play themselves out with humor, passion and revenge.