Joan is a single mother: beautiful, talented, and desired. John is her adored son. They live a peaceful life in the West Country of England. On John's 13th birthday, Joan treats him to a trip to London. Unused to city driving, Joan takes a wrong turn. The repercussions of that decision are devastating, both to her and especially to her son.

With sensitivity and compassion, Jules Hardy's contained but immensely lyrical prose explores the strengths and flaws of this relationship between a brave mother and her wounded son, and vividly describes the altered world in which they must now live.