Told in first person, the story revolves around Jacob, a handsome young man born in Jerusalem with one defect--his feet are so turned out that he walks like Charlie Chaplin. He immigrates to Toronto where he meets with kindness. However, due to the first-person narrative, these kind acts are often laced with irony. He falls for Selma who gets him a job as a Chaplin immitator and meets a small-time, cash machine thief who treats him like a son. He also attends a secret society meeting for people dress as inspiring historical figures and receives advice from Khalil Gibran.