Maryann D'Agincourt's stunning novel in sketches follows Jocelyn from childhood to middle age, starting at the moment in her youth when she first hears the name of the mysterious Canadian painter, Alex Martaine, whispered by her parents. Each of them-Jocelyn, her art-loving mother, and her literary father-has a unique relationship with the artist, and he does, in ways the child could never imagine, turn each of their lives around.