Shep Knacker has long saved for "the Afterlife," an idyllic retreat in
the Third World where his nest egg can last forever. Exasperated that
his wife, Glynis, has concocted endless excuses why it's never the right
time to go, Shep finally announces he's leaving for a Tanzanian island,
with or without her. Yet Glynis has some news of her own: she's deathly
ill. Shep numbly puts his dream aside, while his nest egg is steadily
devastated by staggering bills that their health insurance only
partially covers. Astonishingly, illness not only strains their marriage
but saves it.
From acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Lionel Shriver comes
a searing, ruthlessly honest novel. Brimming with unexpected tenderness
and dry humor, it presses the question: How much is one life worth?