Everything safe and familiar was gone.... In a world shatteringly altered by a nuclear bomb, Philip Singer finds himself in the unlikely role of leader for his family. His father, away from home during the blast, may be dead. Philip's mother, usually competent and crisp, is desperately injured and needs immediate medical help. His brother Matt, whose charm and intelligence have always overshadowed Philip's own awkwardness, is sick and weak. And Matt's girl friend Cara, whom Philip secretly adores, is terrified. If any of them are to live through the next few hours, Philip has to take charge. He must find them food, and water, and first aid in a contaminated, burning city. And Philip has to face what no human being ever faced before-life, after the bomb.