What is the matter with me, I wonder. Why am I always the one who
watches? Judith Gill lives with her husband, son, and daughter in a nice
house in the suburbs of Ontario. She has carved out a niche as a
respected biographer. Her universe is shaped and bounded by the lives
around her, from her family to the subjects of her books. She finds
herself in the background of her life, but she hungers to tell stories
of her own. In this witty, nuanced novel about art, life, love, and
fiction, Carol Shields reveals Judith to listeners and to herself - a
woman with bold emotions, powerful instincts, and a knack for observing
the small ceremonies that give our lives meaning.