Lorna Ladnvik developed the story around the universal truth that life never turns out the way you expect. As always, her writing is filled with unexpected, delightful description and insight. This time, however, her characters failed to capture my heart. I did not connect to the characters, so for me, the emotion of the plot felt false and contrived. Reactions to the book, within a group, will most likely be quite diverse, so with mild reservation, I would recommend it for a book club selection.