Farmer Bailey thinks he has hit a deer while driving his truck, but in the middle of the road lies a man, an enigmatic stranger. He goes home with Farmer Bailey, his memory apparently gone. Weeks pass at the Bailey farm; the stranger seems happy to be around them, and helps with the harvest. Oddly, while trees to the north of the farm turn red and gold with the arrival of fall, Bailey's land seems to be in a state of perpetual summer. One day, the stranger sees geese flying south and knows that he, too, must leave. Not long after that, the leaves at the farm change color and the air turns cool. And every year since, summer lasts a week longer at the Bailey farm than anywhere else. Van Allsburg's story is strangely melancholy, and his straightforward writing is uncannily dry, in contrast to the vivid green and golden landscapes of his paintings. The mood and suspense in this book make it a compelling chance to see the artist take a slight incident and create a truly mysterious event.
这个故事取材于古老的传说。因为一场意外，陌生人暂时失去了记忆，却因此和农夫贝利一家结为好友。对农夫一家来说，陌生人是个谜一样的人，他不会言语、不会扣扣子……随着陌生人的来临，大自然出现了反常的现象，直到陌生人恢复记忆这些谜团才得以解开。作者运用文字和图画叙述了这个神秘、惊异又悬疑的故事，大大满足了读者的好奇心与想象力。