This novel explores the stepfamily and the relationships it brings We meet women representing every aspect of motherhood - Nadine, the 'natural' mother Josie the stepmother Elizabeth the would-be stepmother We meet men dealing with the complexities of modern fatherhood - Matthew who must live with another man's son instead of his own children Tom, torn between his own desires and his daughter And we meet the children, all battling to find a place for themselves in this new order they haven't chosen