The dissolution of a marriage between an archaeologist and a painter forces their thirteen-year-old daughter into the center of a complex legal and emotional conflict. Peter and Clarissa navigate the disintegration of their household, shifting from partners to adversaries within the rigid structures of custody battles and therapeutic intervention. Tara, caught between her parents' diverging lives, observes the collapse of their shared history while attempting to maintain her own sense of identity. The narrative examines the friction between personal autonomy and the bureaucratic requirements of family law. The prose maintains a focus on the internal states of the characters as they confront the reality of their fractured domestic life.

Readers frequently highlight the precision of the prose in capturing the subtle shifts in power dynamics during a separation. Discussion often centers on the author's ability to balance the intellectual pursuits of the parents with the emotional vulnerability of their daughter. Critics note the effectiveness of the atmospheric writing, which mirrors the characters' internal states through their surroundings. The book is often cited for its refusal to offer easy resolutions, instead focusing on the complexities of human relationships. Many readers appreciate the nuanced portrayal of the legal and therapeutic processes that define the family's new reality.