Is there a difference between doing "the good thing" and doing "the right thing?" Ask Tibo Krovic. He's the mayor of Dot, a small island just a ferry ride from the island of Dash, somewhere in the Baltic Sea. Most people refer to him as "Good Tibo Krovic" and some even think that "good" is his first name.

Mayor Tibo Krovic is in love with his secretary, Mrs. Agathe Stopak. Yes, she is married, though unhappily, and that prevents Mayor Krovic from doing the "right" thing. Their "affair" is very platonic. They shower each other with gifts of kindness and beauty, but Krovic never kisses Agathe or declares his love. The relationship is so platonic that Agathe cannot stand it anymore. In a fit of anger over the situation, she runs away to her husband's cousin, a rather shady character, and moves in with him for three years. Agathe decides if she can't have exactly what she wants, she can be happy with what is just good. But things are not good; Agathe is deceiving herself.

During those three years, Mayor Krovic slowly pines away for Agathe. He still loves her; she still works for him every day, and it is tearing him to pieces. He finally decides that there is only so much love in the world, and he cannot afford to waste another day. He must finally do the "right" thing, even if it is not a "good" thing.

Will Tibo Krovic entice Agathe to return to him? This delightful novel is filled with magical spells, far-away places and Walpurnia, a bearded old legend in Dot who spins this tale of love lost and hopefully found again. But what will their fate be if they do find themselves together at last?