Rice has a talent for describing people's complex and conflicting emotions. As Sage travels across the country, her love for her unborn child grows, while her first love unravels. Tragedy both unites and separates Daisy and James, and age and infirmity begin to eat away at the love of James's father and his girlfriend. Though the underlying premise feels a bit contrived, Rice's realistic dialogue and exquisite descriptions are completely convincing. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien