Kitty's husband, Sydney, is dead, and eighteen months later, she is still struggling to come to terms with his death. She takes comfort in the lives of her children, and the full comedy and crises of Kitty's circle of family and friends vividly unfold.

On holiday to Israel, in between awe-inspiring visits to the Dead Sea and the desert, she gets to know Maurice Morgenthau, reserved New Yorker and survivor of the Nazi concentration camps.

The friendship between them grows and Maurice helps Kitty gain a sense of perspective in her life. In turn, Kitty helps Maurice tell his harrowing story of survival for the first time.