Graham’s novel follows the trials and tribulations of a family of creative artists.

The story opens with troubled actor David Steele reeling after his partner Laura’s death. Members of Laura’s extended family worry over the future of the couple’s infant daughter; readers learn that David previously struggled with alcohol abuse and that Laura wanted her cousin, former pop star Lia Best, to raise baby Elizabeth. Lia takes on the duty with self-assurance, but, behind closed doors, she’s depressed about other aspects of her life that are crumbling or broken, including her music career; she lost her passion for music after her lover and writing partner died by suicide. Throughout the novel, she continues to question the role of music in her life and whether she can ever regain her spark. As she navigates her responsibility to Elizabeth, she also grapples with her sympathies for David, the difficulties of raising her own son, Ethan, and her attempts to maintain her current marriage, which is endangered by subdued resentment. The novel follows a few select characters in detail, shifting chronologically through years at a time. The close-third-person narration maintains a sense of continuity as new insights are revealed. Graham generally wields exceptional control over his prose’s mature tone and fluid dialogue, although the use of dialect can be distracting. Some exchanges provide the novel’s most heartrending moments; for instance, on the cusp of a difficult decision, Lia and Tuan, David’s butler, display vulnerability and clarity: “‘No matter what happens…I stay with her.’ Lia shook her head, trying to avoid the tears forming in her eyes. She cleared her throat. ‘Because you promised Laura.’ ‘Yes.’” Each of the characters find their own way over obstacles, even if they’re self-created, and amid their conflicts and celebrations, readers will also be encouraged to “just get back up, dust [themselves] off, and try again. That’s all any of us can do.”

An expansive family saga with some unexpected turns.