After years of tending to her ailing father, Isabel emerges from the shadow of guilt and duty, seeking a new path in life. She navigates relationships and career choices, all while grappling with her past and her quest for authenticity. In a journey marked by self-discovery and redemption, Isabel learns to reconcile with her past and embrace the future.

A Daughter's Burden

Isabel's life has been defined by the care she provided for her father, Joseph Moore, over a period of eleven years until his death. This devotion was driven by a deep-seated sense of atonement for a youthful transgression. At nineteen, Isabel was discovered in an intimate situation with David Lowe, her father's student, which led to Joseph's first stroke merely weeks later. This event haunted Isabel, shaping her subsequent actions, including an incident from her adolescence. At thirteen, Isabel, consumed by jealousy, dismissed Margaret Casey, the housekeeper who aspired to marry Joseph, a move neither her strict father nor their parish priest, Father Mulcahy, dared to make. Years later, at her father’s funeral, encountering Margaret resurrects the disdain she felt at thirteen.

Breaking Free

Despite the shadow of her past, Isabel maintains strong ties with her childhood friends, Eleanor and Liz. Together, they abandon their Catholic faith, finding new freedom in their lives. Encouraged by her friends, Isabel begins to transform herself. Accompanied by Eleanor, she invests in a new wardrobe that reflects her newfound confidence. A weekend retreat in Ringkill with Liz, her charming yet clumsy husband John, and their children further propels Isabel into a different lifestyle. There, Liz introduces Isabel to Erica, her striking young lover. John, notorious for his flirtatious nature, offers Isabel a job managing a pilot program for elderly care, which she accepts with gratitude.

New Beginnings and Challenges

With a determined resolve, Isabel sells her father's home in Queens and relocates upstate, enduring the physical discomfort of an IUD insertion as part of her new life chapter. Settling into her own apartment, she embarks on her new career. However, socializing with her younger colleagues at a party leads to overindulgence, culminating in a regrettable encounter with John. Although she longs for connection, the experience leaves her feeling sullied and out of control. Liz, incensed by John's seduction of Isabel, introduces her to Hugh Slade, a married man with a rationalist world view who derides Isabel’s Catholic upbringing as "barbarous." Despite John's continued interest, Isabel decides to pursue a relationship with Hugh.

The Work and Its Impact

Isabel's role entails visiting the homes of elderly individuals to assess the quality of care they receive. The personal narratives she encounters deeply touch her, reinforcing her understanding that happiness cannot be easily orchestrated. These stories resonate with her, offering insights into the complexities of human contentment.

Strains of Love and Friendship

During a hike with Hugh, Erica, and Liz, Isabel's physical exhaustion leads to frustration with their condescension. At the summit, when Hugh professes his love, Isabel is torn between savoring the moment’s richness and the anxiety of its impermanence. Meanwhile, John's relentless pursuit ends when Isabel, in self-defense, strikes him. His retaliatory threat lingers ominously. Hugh's criticism of Isabel's untidiness upon finding a moldy coffee cup marks a turning point for her, as she realizes he may not be capable of accepting her emerging identity.

Confrontation and Realization

Weeks later, Hugh contemplates leaving his wife, Cynthia, which leads to a confrontation at a party. Cynthia confronts Isabel, berating her as "the little bitch," with information maliciously supplied by John. Cynthia's cutting remarks about Isabel’s perceived selfishness and her alleged anticipation for her father's...