Maurice Dufault stopped to contemplate the small town spread out at his feet. Each time he came back, he liked to identify the changes that had taken place over the summer holidays....

So begins another school year in the life of Maurice Dufault, vice-principal. It is 1954, and the little town of Lyonsville is growing and changing with the times, full of energy and newfound prosperity.

Maurice Dufault, however, is weary and jaded. He despises his boss, finds little satisfaction in his work, and is fed up with the group of bullies that continue to terrorize the school and the community. He relishes the time he spends alone, with his books and music for comfort, content in his solitude. But, when he receives upsetting news about his future, can he pull himself out of despair and make the most of the time he has left?