▁what ▁he ▁thinks ▁of ▁as ▁" the ▁world ▁of ▁feeling ". ▁Following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁mother ▁at ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁G abe ▁be fri ends ▁his ▁fellow ▁gradu ate ▁student ▁Paul ▁Herz . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁Let ting ▁Go ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁seven ▁( 7 ) ▁sections : ▁▁ 1 . ▁" Deb ts ▁and ▁Sor rows " ▁ ▁Having ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Korean ▁War ▁after ▁college , ▁G abe ▁Wal lach ▁is ▁finishing ▁his ▁military ▁service ▁in ▁Oklahoma ▁when ▁he ▁receives ▁a ▁letter ▁his ▁mother ▁wrote ▁to ▁him ▁from ▁her ▁death ▁bed . ▁After ▁reading ▁the ▁letter ▁Wal lach ▁places ▁it ▁in ▁The ▁Port rait ▁of ▁a ▁Lady ▁by ▁Henry ▁James . ▁The ▁narr ative ▁then ▁ski ps ▁forward ▁to ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁when ▁Wal lach ▁is ▁working ▁on ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁degree ▁in ▁literature ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Iowa . ▁Wal lach ▁l ends ▁his ▁copy ▁of ▁The ▁Port rait ▁of ▁a ▁Lady ▁to ▁a ▁fellow ▁gradu ate ▁student , ▁Paul ▁Herz . ▁ ▁Later ▁Wal lach ▁real izes ▁that ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁letter ▁from ▁his ▁mother ▁in ▁the ▁pages ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁attempt ▁to ▁retrieve ▁the ▁book ▁he ▁meets ▁Paul ' s ▁wife , ▁Lib by . ▁ ▁G abe ▁lear ns ▁from ▁Lib by ▁that ▁Paul ▁is ▁teaching ▁classes ▁at ▁another ▁school ▁and ▁real izes ▁how ▁poor ▁the ▁Herz s ▁are . ▁He ▁drives ▁Lib by ▁to ▁where ▁Paul ' s ▁car ▁has ▁broken ▁down ▁on ▁a ▁trip ▁from ▁this ▁second ▁school