Colom is the teenage son, and Fiona the wife, of David Dryden, pastor of a high profile church in London, who is admired for his emphasis on the Christian family. But all is not well. Colom's erratic behaviour causes a great deal of family stress. When a commitment to die is discovered in Colom's room after the suicide of a school friend, David finds himself out of his depth - and Fiona, in panic, takes Colom and flees ... A wonderful, intelligent and searching novel about the toxic nature of secrets, and the possibility of starting again.