On the surface, Julia O'Casey seems to have brushed aside the limited trappings of her small-town Maritime upbringing. She has married well: her husband, Dan, is a respected professor at Trinity College in Dublin; they have two young children, and she has obtained a university education - something she would have considered impossible during her difficult childhood. She and Dan have also begun a project together: Julia's aunt has given them the journals of Cora McGilchrist, a long-dead relative. The journals, written in Gaelic, document the sad, lonely, and dangerous life of a troubled young girl. But as the translation moves forward, Julia discovers evidence that her husband has been unfaithful. Not knowing what else to do, she gathers up the children and flees Ireland for her ancestral New Brunswick home. As she works on the translation and tries to regain control of her life, Dan begins to lose control of his. Troubles with alcohol lead to allegations of professional misconduct, and he stands to lose everything - everything - he has worked for.

Tammy Armstrong has crafted a rich and carefully textured novel in which characters, locations, and situations spring vibrantly to life. This is a story of troubled pasts, confusing presents, and uncertain futures. As the characters move inexorably to some sort of resolution, it becomes clear that words aren't enough. Too much gets lost in the translation.