This is about the slow disintegration of a marriage. Nothing earth shattering happened in the marriage, just years of work and kids and house repairs and they slowly drifted apart. The Nolans seem to have it all but Nora Nolan comes to realize that they have drifted apart and that her husband is unhappy. So at the end they separate and go on their own way. Again, nothing earth shattering about the break up. Book was a little slow in parts. There was no real action but just Nora living her life day in and day out and coming to realize that she and Charlie were living parallel but separate lives.