A period in the life of a small boy in a remote village in the 1940s. His family, neighbors, employer, strangers, fears, hopes, goblins, cows... A limited cast and scope, as is appropriate for the life of a small boy in a small village. We see life both from the boy's point of view and also from that of the adults, who dominate and influence his life, for good and not-so-good. There's some historical context, as well as the timeless life of the countryside and human emotions and motivations.