Ana, a young Czech woman, is spending the summer in New Zealand. In the aftermath of the break-up of her marriage, she is visiting her father, whom she has not seen since he escaped Prague when she was a young child. With her is her own small daughter, Ariel. Back in Prague, her mother, brother, best friend Kristina and her estranged husband, Milan, are wondering if Ana and Ariel will return. This subtle novel shifts between Prague and Wellington, with themes of loyalty and betrayal, migration and separation.