It is 2011 in Portland, Oregon and six months since Anna's husband, Edward, died. They had been set to move to Ireland where he was to teach and Anna was to do a PhD. She abandons any thoughts of pursuing a PhD, and despite objections from friends in Portland and her family in Dublin, she arranges to teach for a year in London. It is Dublin 1994. Anna is about to start the second year of her MA in English literature when she is introduced to a visiting professor and published poet. His distrust of hierarchy, rules and boundaries both unnerves and fascinates Anna, leading her on a path that changes everything. Back in London in 2011 Anna settles into a routine of teaching and isolation, but despite her best efforts her life is further complicated by a casual friendship with Mark. In this nonlinear story of beginnings and endings, Anna must find a way through the decisions she has made.