Though Iris Stern considers herself a modern woman, with a successful academic career and a happy marriage, she still holds steadfast to her old-fashioned sensibilities. But as the mother of three adult children, each with their own lives and burdens to bear, she often finds those sensibilities called into question when confronted with the choices her children have made. At the same time, she herself must come to grips with a long-held family secret, and faces the realization that neither her beloved husband nor their solid marriage is immune to the ravages of time.