Lily's life has been anything but simple. From the strained beginnings of a difficult childhood, to life as an adult in the only way she felt she deserved, she has slowly pushed through with no real sense of self-worth. Lily manages to carve out an existence for herself in the only way she feels she can-not at the center of anything-but rather in the periphery of everyone else. Always on the outskirts of life, Lily tries to establish some sense of normalcy, but only for others. She knows who she is, and that is no consolation. She often refers back to her childhood and takes the few good memories she has, embracing them almost to a fault. Meanwhile, Hazel Lock, an older lady who lived near her as a child, not only watches her grow up, but follows in her shadow and, in a sense, lives vicariously through her. In Hazel's mind, Lily is someone she would have liked to have been. And if she had been given certain advantages that she sees in Lily, her life would have been different. When Hazel and Lily finally meet, these two soul-scarred women from two very different generations come together, bringing their similarities and differences, both leading them into an awareness of a startling revelation.