The Palmer sisters are close, and loyalty to one another always outweighs loyalty to boyfriends and husbands. And there are never any secrets. Until now. Stella tells Bridie a rumor she's heard about Liddy's new boyfriend. Should Liddy be told? Bridie is certain and persuades her sister to join in her decision. But Liddy reacts badly and Bridie becomes the outcast, bereft of the support system upon which she has based her whole life. With surgical precision and a wry intelligence Anne Fine exposes the claustrophobic nature of close family relationships. Secrets beget secrets and the final revelations are more than anyone has bargained for.