Raised in a family that buried feelings, Jenna Burns silenced her opinions to keep the peace. When her father abruptly cuts off contact when Jenna is 38, this accomplished psychiatrist must reconcile her unmet needs and address her long-ignored anxiety. Caught between bitterness and grief at her father’s abandonment and his rejection of her attempts to reconnect, Jenna is determined to focus on what matters most: her children and becoming a more involved mother.

Clara Jamison is a typical Seattle wife and mom who embarks on a home exchange in France with a glamorous couple, wishing she could be the French housewife. While living in the couple’s home for the summer, Clara unwittingly discovers that the Frenchman and his wife’s life together is far from perfect. Clara cannot help but insert herself into their lives, straining her own marriage.