A successful magazine editor finds her carefully curated life disrupted by the raw, unvarnished reality of aging and loss. Jane Somers, a woman defined by her professional polish and material comfort, faces a profound existential crisis following the deaths of her husband and mother. Her attempt to navigate this grief leads her into an unlikely friendship with Maudie, a destitute elderly woman, and the responsibility of caring for her troubled niece, Kate. The narrative, presented through the intimate lens of Jane's diaries, tracks her struggle to reconcile her superficial world with the harsh, often invisible, suffering of those around her.

This work is often discussed as a significant experiment in authorship, as Doris Lessing originally published the two volumes under a pseudonym to test the reception of her writing without the weight of her established reputation. Critics frequently highlight the novel's unflinching look at the physical realities of aging and the social barriers that separate different classes of women. The prose is noted for its clinical observation and the gradual, earned evolution of the protagonist's perspective. Readers often find the contrast between the protagonist's professional life and her private caregiving duties to be a compelling study of human connection. The book remains a central text for those interested in the intersection of personal identity and social responsibility.