Summary

Two young Americans meet in Ecuador and share a short period of love and adventure. He is a Korean War vet suffering Post Traumatic Syndrome; she is a strong girl that firmly believes she can sort out his problem and send him on his way cured. But his problem will not be solved quickly, and their love and adventures in coastal and Amazonian Ecuador are beyond anything she has ever experienced. She realizes quickly that their love and adventures are just an intermission from real life and time is not on their side; but for a short period the clowns dance.

Structure

The book is in alternating first person and third person chapters. The first person chapters present a passionate account of the male protagonist's desperate yearning for her love; the alternate third person chapters provide background on both the male and female characters from their perspectives, allowing the reader to understand the earlier experiences and trauma in their lives, including his combat experiences in Korea, and her intense need to assist and heal life's victims.