Summary

In "Sons," Sammy is in his 60s and has settled down as the owner of a lodge in Vermont. The lodge once belonged to the Portsmiths, but Sammy bought it five years ago and renamed it his Thai name. Sammy enjoys the simplicity of his work and life at the lodge. He always has small things to fix and he also enjoys taking photographs of the nature in New England.

Betty, a holdover from the Portsmiths' ownership of the lodge, helps Sammy to run the accommodation. Now in her late thirties, Betty lives with her boyfriend, Wayne. The two met in high school and reconnected once Wayne returned from the "liberation of Kuwait" (225). The government pays Wayne monthly to compensate for the ailments he picked up during his service which include headaches, a weak arm, and "sluggish sperm motility" (225).

At the lodge...