Ellen, a photographer in New York City, doesn’t realize that her world is about to be thrown into upheaval when she casually passes her ex-boyfriend, Leo, in the middle of a busy intersection on a rainy day. Leo, whom she still resents (and kinda has leftover feelings for) due to lack of closure after their devastating breakup eight years ago, barely waits minutes before contacting Ellen, eager to catch up and become a part of her life again. And Ellen might see it as a fated intervention if she wasn’t married to Andy, an attorney from Georgia whose sister is Ellen’s former college roommate and best friend in the world.
But as much as Ellen tries to avoid falling back into the hold Leo once had over her, and as much as she tries to convince herself that she’s moved on, she can’t shut the door and never look back with the force that’s so easy to claim, especially after Leo, who’s now a distinguished reporter in an industry Ellen has long dreamed of breaking into, comes to her with a business opportunity that’s almost too good to be true. Suddenly Leo’s offer of friendship is all the more hard to refuse.
Ellen’s dilemma is further complicated when Andy’s father offers him a job at his law firm in Georgia, a proposal that could uproot them from the fast-paced city streets that Ellen loves to the upper-class suburbs in a conservative town with few career opportunities for Ellen, who doesn’t want home-and-garden photos to become her next big thing.
Reminiscing on her former relationship with Leo, she struggles to figure out whether or not she chose the path that truly coheres to a lifestyle she fits into. Then Leo reveals a long-withheld secret that gives her new insight to their heart-wrenching breakup, causing her to re-examine every decision she’s made since. As Ellen toes she line between subtle trickery and outright deception, she risks reaching a point of no return.
Infidelity is a tough plight to examine, but the poise and responsibility Giffin uses to present the issue is redeeming in itself as we see Ellen facing hurdles that threaten her marriage, her friendships, and the solid footing she’s worked hard to obtain. As is explored throughout the course of the novel, betrayal isn’t always black and white, and although not all of Ellen’s actions beg for urgent forgiveness, Giffin provides a practical glimpse into Ellen’s struggle that helps readers empathize.
Giffin wastes no time moving the story along and provides honest insight into each character’s feelings, thoughts, motives, and gifts and flaws alike. What we have are relatable characters whose errors in judgment don’t make them anything other than human, and what unfolds is a thought-provoking tale about the collision of two worlds and the self-discovery that comes with it.
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