Irene's early life experiences in a disturbed Germany of 1914 to 1956 encourage her to migrate to Australia as a divorced mother of four daughters. However, instead of creating a promising future for her small family in her adopted country, her family is broken apart within three years.A coming together of the 'Big Five' at the celebration of Irene's 80th birthday, and two years later at her imminent death, exposes the antagonistic relationships of the four sisters. The author welcomes a metaphysical visit from her mother as an opportunity to further explore their relationship.