Baltimore woman disappears during family vacation. This headline marks the beginning of a transformative journey for forty-year-old Delia Grinstead. Last seen strolling down the Delaware shore in nothing but a bathing suit, Delia carries only a beach tote with five hundred dollars tucked inside. To her family, she has vanished without a trace or reason. But for Delia, who feels like a tiny gnat buzzing around her family's edges, walking away from it all is an impulse that leads her into a new, exciting, and unimagined life.

Anne Tyler details Delia's adventure with great skill, creating distinct characters caught in poignantly funny situations. As Delia reinvents herself, she discovers feelings of passion and wonder she'd long since forgotten. The thrill of walking away from it all leads to a newfound sense of self and the feeling that she is, finally, the star of her own life story.