Alistair Mackenzie, seventy, has just moved in with his daughter and her family, along with a few medals, some smoky pyjamas, and his memory. Seeking to come to terms with his life, and fearful of disappearing once he dies, Alistair examines significant episodes from his life, revisiting a lifetime of love and quarrels, friendship and betrayal, war and peace. Eventually, his past begins to lend coherence to his present, and to reveal the thread that connects him to his future with his daughter, his son-in-law, and his grandson.