First published 1996
Pauline watches her son-in-law Maurice destroy her daughter's marriage. The summer heat presses down as Maurice pursues another woman, leaving Pauline caught between loyalty to her daughter and her own complicated feelings about the unraveling relationship. She observes the small betrayals and large deceptions that mark an affair's progress. The family gathers for what should be ordinary moments, but tension fills every conversation. Pauline remembers her own marriage, her own choices, and wonders what she should have seen coming. As Maurice's infidelity becomes impossible to ignore, Pauline must decide how much truth a mother should speak and how much damage honesty might cause. The story moves through a mother's fierce protectiveness and her recognition that some pain cannot be prevented, only witnessed.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, infidelity, mother-daughter-relationship
215 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins