Yvette Santerre had met the photographer on the beach as her children played He had offered to take their picture for her husband, away at war When he arrives at her house with his camera, the last thing she had expected was that he would try to kiss her But his kiss will haunt her family for generations Set in California, the narrative follows four generations of the Santerre family from World War II to the present, as they navigate a succession of life-changing events