Summary

The novel is broken up into months and begins with August. In Chapter 1, Susan tells us that she was in the bathroom, nauseas, when her brother Edward called and told her that their mother had died. Susan was 45 and worked an office job in London. She had not seen her mother often in the past few years, in part because she was busy with her own life, but also because her younger brother, Edward, was living with their mother, and she did not get along with him at all. Susan went to work and carried on as usual, but was particularly annoyed with her colleagues. At the end of the day, she was proud of herself for not letting her emotions show. At home, she called her brother and instructed him on how to set up the funeral. He told her that their...