A Chicago Tribune and Publishers Weekly Best Novel

'A domestic drama with the adrenaline-fuelled beating heart of a thriller' - Elle

Fifteen years ago, English teacher Vida Avery arrived alone and pregnant at the elite Fayer Academy. Living on the campus off the coast of New England, she worked to become a beloved fixture of the school - and to shelter herself and her son, Peter, from a painful secret she left behind.

Then she accepts the impulsive marriage proposal of ardent widower Tom Belou, and the prescribed life Vida has constructed begins to come apart. As Peter bonds with Tom and his new step-siblings, Vida retreats further into the books she teaches. To embrace life and a chance at happiness, she will have to face the nightmares of her former self - and shed the pain she has held onto for far too long.