Penniless and hungry, Mercer stumbled into a seedy bookstore on the Left Bank of Paris to escape the rain. He ended up staying there for four months. The bookstore is the legendary Shakespeare and Company, established by George Whitman, whose motto is "Take what you need, and give what you can." Using the name of the store founded by Sylvia Beach and publisher of Joyce's Ulysses, Whitman vowed to always have a pot of soup on the stove and a bed to share. For decades, wandering writers have found their way to his store for a meal and a bed before moving on. In Mercer's case, fleeing a death threat brought on by his crime reporting in Ottawa, Canada, he finds much more than shelter. Soon after his arrival, he becomes Whitman's confidant and sometime advisor. From the other residents, he learns the cheapest places to eat, free showers, bars that stay open all night, and deep, abiding friendships. His experiences change his life forever.