On a hot day in August, boys steal a boat to go swimming, but one of them nearly drowns. When Charlie, the survivor, tells the story to his daughter years later, he knows he hasn't told her everything about what happened that day. So begins 'August Blue', a collection of stories about lives lived on, in, or are affected by the sea. In 'The Underwater Man', an absent father haunts a boy who yearns for paternal recognition, while in 'Absolute Depth', reminiscences by a famous artist's son to a young fatherless student are clouded when both have to confront the consequences of the past. In 'Sea Light', a lighthouse keeper is dazzled by destructive visions, while in 'Storm Warning', fishermen are forced to fight for the riches of the sea, and the love of a woman. Love is the subject of 'Brighton Beach Memory' too, a story about a chance encounter whilst swimming in the sea. But what seemed true on a warm summer's day soon seems like a lie, as winter, and a new millennium, approaches. The collection culminates in 'Voyages', a comedy of manners aboard a liner. Miles, a seasoned traveller, once again sets sail across the Atlantic liner, and is intrigued by his fellow passengers, not least a Countess recovering from illness, and a poet she has in tow to the United States after an unsuccessful trip to England. What are they doing with each other, and what do they want from Miles? While everyone Miles meets seems to be searching for any 'port in the storm', he prefers to remain a voyager 'at sea' - until now.