As I said the novel moves back through Book's life - memento style - if you are not going to read it (or do not care about spoilers) and just want to know Book's story:


We see him in Haven, then back on Serenity, then leaving South Down Abbey, his decision to seek God and before him drowning his pain in booze. Then as we move back we start to get the info we really want.

We see him working for the Alliance and seemingly making a mistake that cost a lot of Alliance lives, then back to his time as a new recruit. Then we get the big surprise his time with the independents and decision to assume a fake ID and join the Alliance as an Independent spy. From here we go back to see him as a youth and the things that led him to join the Independent movement.