From one of my favourite authors, this is a brilliantly written and insightful study of one woman's marriage. Beginning at the end of the marriage, the story moves back in increments to the couple's first meeting. Ultimately, it's a dismaying portrait of an unhappy woman who seems to have had the odds stacked against her from the start, in terms of being able to enjoy a truly loving relationship. Sad but unfortunately all too realistic depiction of two people set on making themselves miserable. Howard's prose is so subtle, perceptive and perfectly modulated, it's hard to understand why this novel didn't enjoy far more acclaim than it did.