Auden has dedicated himself to learning what happened to his grandfather, even if no one thinks it was real.
His story is about giving ourselves permission.
To claim the boundaries we need.
To experience anger, or whatever we might find.
To take up the space that will let us form the shape of our lives.
This book picks up where Strands of Shadow left off, Auden being the son of the earlier book's main character. Either book can, I believe, be read on its own.