Norman is the clever one of a close-knit Jewish family in the East End of London Infant prodigy; brilliant barrister; the apple of his parents' eyes until at forty-one he becomes a drug addict confined to his bedroom at the mercy of his hallucinations & paranoia For Norman his committal to a mental hospital represents the ultimate act of betrayal For Rbbi Zweck Norman's father his son's deterioration is a bitter reminder of his own guilt & failure Only Bella the unmarried sister still in her childhood white ankle socks can reach across the abyss of pain to bring father & son the elusive peace which they both desperately crave