After an unplanned admission to a nursing home, Mr. Scobie must protect himself and his dreams from the soul-killing proprietress, Matron Price. Playing Brahms and reciting Wordsworth is not enough. Yet his very simple riddle and its ordinary answer may change the institution forever. Can a voice calling for dignity be heard? "A satire of great verve and acerbity" (<em>New York Times Book Review</em>), comparable to <em>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</em>.