The discovery of an unexpected pregnancy forces a brother and sister to confront the consequences of their lifelong, intimate bond. Kevin and Maureen live in the isolated Irish countryside, bound by a secret relationship that has persisted from childhood into their adult years. When Maureen suspects she is pregnant, the precarious stability of their domestic arrangement shatters. Kevin, recognizing the social impossibility of their situation, initiates a desperate search for a suitor to claim Maureen, setting in motion a series of maneuvers to preserve their shared life against the intrusion of the outside world.

This novel is characterized by its unflinching examination of a transgressive domestic arrangement set against the backdrop of rural Ireland. The narrative structure relies on the psychological tension between the siblings as they attempt to navigate the social consequences of their secret. Readers and critics often note the author's ability to render the Irish landscape as a living, breathing entity that exerts pressure on the characters' choices. The prose maintains a somber, deliberate tone that underscores the gravity of the protagonists' predicament throughout the story.