One of my favorite things in a book is really getting to see inside the minds of the character. This book is basically told through the eight characters in the story. Angela and her brother Richard are somewhat estranged, but make an attempt to get to know each other after the death of their mother, by spending a week together in a rented house in the country. Angela brings her husband and three kids and Richard brings his new wife and stepdaughter. 
 Each have their own "crises" they are dealing with and being thrown into an awkward family reunion of sorts has a strange effect on what each are going thru. Some will come out with a better understanding of themselves and others will be more lost than ever. 
 Each character is engaging and fully realized, lending to an authenticity that is sometimes hard to capture. The story begins with their arriving at the vacation house and ends as they are driving away at the end of the holiday. I found myself wanting to stay with them to make sure everyone ended up OK - whatever that is.