Emily Perkins

London has ground Daniel down. Grasping for an escape from the urban drudgery of his life, he is enticed by a free trip and the promise of ten thousand dollars, all for the simple delivery of a package for an acquaintance.

In a small town in New Zealand, lifelong friends, Rachel, Julia and Chicky, are celebrating the end of school, enjoying the liminal space of the summer holidays before their lives will be transformed by university, careers and adulthood.

Evelyn and Dorothy - the twins - are seven when the Forrests move from New York City, the hub of the world, to Westmere, New Zealand....

From humble beginnings, Therese has let herself grow used to a life of luxury after marrying into an empire-building family. But when rumours of corruption gather around her husband's latest development, Therese begins to look at her privileged and insular world with new eyes....