is a novel about the dissolution of a marriage, inch by inch. Told in a series of vignettes, uncovers the layers of a slowly accumulating despair. It begins with three distinct voices-all occurring on the same December day-one for each of the story's protagonists: Roger, his wife Brenda, and their daughter Anna. Along the way, there are minor disappointments, major confrontations, and hints of an even more monstrous betrayal. is a novel of deep-seated longing amidst the inertia of routine. It is a story about the diminishing returns of a love built on misguided pretenses as well as the tales we tell ourselves to salvage the remains.