All the characters are refreshingly complex, the setting evocatively drawn, and the story engaging and universal. The book follows the evolution of the main character, Ellie, as she marches through familiar and poignant difficult territory, on the cusp of 40 and having achieved a superficially successful but soul-killing professional life, and a woefully limited personal life. While the details may be different, many of us in midlife or beyond will see ourselves, perhaps with no small discomfort, somewhere in the cast of characters. I loved this book. It is about to start making its rounds through the hands of all my friends.