This story is about a family; more specifically about three members of the family. Mark and Eva have two children, Emily and Daisy, when Mark feels compelled to tell Eva of his affair. Eva is not of the forgive-and-forget variety, but she does retain affection for Mark even through their divorce and her eventual remarriage to John. The two have one child together, Theo, and on his many visits to the house Mark becomes fond of the boy too.

Eventually Mark tries to do better. He recognizes that he was not a good husband to Eva. He recognizes, belatedly, that much of the time his daughters (and occasionally Theo) spent with him he did not focus on them. His work developing vineyards took much of his time and interest.

A tragedy hits the new couple. John is killed by a drunk driver. Mark makes an effort to be supportive and perhaps more. He holds out hope that he and Eva might get back together in time.

Meanwhile, Emily and Daisy are growing up. Daisy, who has grown tall and gangly, with sharp edges, simply cannot adore her older, smaller, beautiful sister. The two are too different. When she enters high school, Daisy gets involved in many activities but has few friends. The loss of her stepfather was especially hard on her, yet she refuses to let others see her grief.

Ultimately the story centers on Daisy and essentially ends there. She did seem to be "lost in the forest" for a time, like the stories the older members of the family told to Theo. And her life does appear to have run along the same lines as these stories.

Parents can't always prepare their children for what lies ahead, particularly when some things knock them off their centers themselves. ( )

A disturbing and psychologically complex novel. ( )

This was a wonderful book. The story told by one of the characters, the youngest child of a divorced couple living in the Nappa Valley. As we listen in to her conversation with her therapist when she is an adult, she comments on the divorce of her parents, her mother's remarriage and subsequent widowhood, her affair with an older family friend and the redemption of having family around you. I enjoyed being along for her ride.
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Eva and Mark are married. Family is broken up due to husband's infidelity. Eva marries John and is very happy, years later John is killed in a freak car acident which Eva and their son, Theo witness.
The story really revolves around Daisy one of Eva and Mark's daughters. Daisy is seriously effected by the loss of her family due to the divorce and this is compounded when she looses her step-dad, John.
Not my favorite book and never having read Sue Miller, I am not compelled to explore her other works. ( )

great! ( )