In the fifty years that follow, the possibilities narrow. Sylvia's untimely death marks her family indelibly but in ways only time will reveal. Paul's perfect marriage yields an imperfect child. Daphne unabashedly follows an unconventional path, while Patrick discovers that his happiness requires a series of compromises. Bill confronts the onset of old age less gracefully than anticipated, and throughout, his second wife, Margaret, remains, surprisingly, the family anchor.

Author Biography: A resident of London, Ontario, Bonnie Burnard is the author of two award-winning story collections. A Good House is her first novel. A number one bestseller in Canada, it received the 1999 Giller Prize, one of Canada's most prestigious literary awards previous winners include Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood.