Sal Cannon is a struggling magazine writer, dealing with the professional humiliation of being conned by a serial liar. She's close to rock-bottom when she reads a short story by Martin Keller, the much older author she met at a literary event years ago. Much to her surprise, the piece is about her and their brief encounter. Desperate to read more of the unpublished novel from which the story is taken, she is shocked to learn that Martin has died. But as her own life and relationships fall apart, Sal makes a rash decision: she will seek out Martin's widow, Moira, and convince her to let Sal read the rest of Martin's novel. Her novel. Over a single summer, Sal will insert herself into Moira's life. Or is it the other way around? As Sal sifts through Martin's papers and learns more about Moira, she discovers the larger, ever-shifting story of not just one marriage but two, as she unravels the secret histories of those closest to Martin Keller.