Evelyn has a gift for knowing who is lying to her, her daughter Jenny a tendency to dream men's dreams alongside them and young Stella knows what deaths are likely to come to the people she meets or even sees. One attempt by Stella to change a future leads to her feckless father Will being suspected of the murder he tried to prevent.

One of the strengths of the novel is that misfortune is not especially good for Will, who exploits the situation as totally as he has exploited everything and everyone in his life--Hoffman is good on just how much damage can be done by someone who is not malicious, merely weak. In the end, though, this is a novel about healing--which is as much a matter of goodwill as of powers. --Roz Kaveney