In 1981, Maureen and her boyfriend Paul bought a house for six thousand dollars in the once thriving dockyard of Red Hook, Brooklyn. The golden light off New York Harbor, the community of old-timers and new-comers, and free parking made up for some of the grit and municipal neglect of the neighborhood. When a new family moves into the apartment next door, Maureen is charmed by eight year old Mercy who jumps rope on the sidewalk in front of her...