As the patriarch of the Lambert family descends into dementia, his wife Enid attempts to orchestrate one final, perfect Christmas gathering to reconcile her fractured family. Enid Lambert, having spent decades in the service of her husband and children, finds herself yearning for a reprieve from her domestic constraints. Her husband, Alfred, faces a deteriorating mental state that threatens to unravel the family's carefully maintained facade. Their three adult children, each struggling with their own professional and personal failures, are drawn back into the orbit of their parents' dysfunction. The narrative operates through a shifting, multi-perspective framework that dissects the internal lives of each family member against the backdrop of a rapidly changing American landscape.

This novel is widely regarded as a significant contribution to contemporary American literature, frequently cited for its ambitious scope and technical precision. Critics often highlight the author's ability to balance dark humor with a profound sense of melancholy regarding the disintegration of the traditional family unit. Readers frequently discuss the complexity of the Lambert family members, noting that their flaws are rendered with both clinical detachment and deep empathy. The work is often analyzed for its commentary on the intersection of personal identity and the broader socio-economic shifts of the early twenty-first century. It remains a staple in discussions concerning the state of the modern novel and the evolution of the domestic drama.