Thomas knows there is something he needs to say to his mother before she dies, but will he reach her in time, and will he have the courage to say what he couldn't say before? His phone is buzzing and his mind is racing, and he can't concentrate on the significance of what is happening.

Should he try to solve his friend's family crisis? Should he reconsider the separation from his wife? Why does he feel so utterly confused and paralysed? In his most exhilarating book to date, Tim Parks explores how profoundly our present identity is rooted in our family past. Can we ever really change?