The unnamed woman practices Bach's Goldberg Variations. As she practices, tenaciously, almost grimly, it soon becomes clear that she is seeking not only technical control and intellectual understanding but an emotional release from the burden of her past. Slowly but surely, variation by variation, innocent, everyday memories unfold, of her family life with her husband, her son and, especially, her daughter. As she plays, the music amplifies feelings that alternate between rage, despair and longing. Grief is a constant presence; 'she was playing something that had gone for ever, something she could never truly recall.' In this deeply moving novel, elegantly translated from the original Dutch, acclaimed novelist Anna Enquist skillfully counterpoints the different mood and pace of each variation with the varying moods and textures of the woman's memories. It is a journey of loss and longing, rage and despair, which ultimately affirms the beauty of music, family and maternal love.