NANCY,PLEASEtellsthestoryofPaulBrawley,agiftedPhDcandidateatYaleUniversity.Paulhasjustmovedintoanapartmentwithhispragmaticgirlfriend,Jen,andisstrugglingtocompletehisdissertationbeforeembarkingonacareerinacademia.There'sjustonesnag:asPaulisunpackinghisbelongings,hediscoversthatsomethinghasbeenleftbehind.Aseeminglyinconsequentialobject,butonePaulfeelsisofgreatimportancetohisdissertationand,therefore,tohisfuture:abattered,personallyannotatedhardcovercopyof'LittleDorrit'byCharlesDickens.Hewillhavetoretrieveitfromhisformerroommate-theobstinateNancy.Ashebecomesincreasinglyconsumedwiththeretrievalof'LittleDorrit',Paul'srelationshipandcareerunravel.