▁William ▁Nich ol son . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁Laura , ▁the ▁central ▁character , ▁lives ▁happ ily ▁enough ▁with ▁her ▁husband ▁and ▁children , ▁until ▁a ▁long ▁forgotten ▁lo ver ▁comes ▁back ▁into ▁her ▁life . ▁ ▁When ▁her ▁passion ▁is ▁re - aw ak ened , ▁she ▁comes ▁to ▁real ise ▁how ▁the ▁excitement ▁has ▁f aded ▁from ▁her ▁life . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁story ▁unf olds ▁we ▁find ▁that ▁everyone ▁in ▁the ▁Sus sex ▁village ▁where ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁set , ▁lives ▁with ▁their ▁own ▁inner ▁dram as . ▁None ▁of ▁them ▁seems ▁to ▁notice ▁that ▁she ▁is ▁going ▁through ▁a ▁crisis . ▁The ▁hidden ▁feelings ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁cast ▁of ▁characters ▁are ▁inter w oven ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁plot ▁that ▁attempts ▁to ▁reve al ▁the ▁intensity ▁with ▁which ▁ordinary ▁lives ▁are ▁led . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁multi - str and ed ▁expl oring ▁the ▁high s ▁and ▁l ows ▁of ▁life . ▁Sometimes ▁serious , ▁at ▁others ▁sub lime , ▁it ▁tries ▁to ▁answer ▁the ▁central ▁question , ▁how ▁much ▁happiness ▁we ▁should ▁expect ▁from ▁life . ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Author ' s ▁Website ▁https :// web . archive . org / web / 2 0 1 2 0 7 2 9 0 1 0 9 2 4 / http :// www . will iam n ich ol son . com / bio / ▁ ▁Category : 2 0 0 9 ▁British ▁nov els ▁Category : Nov els ▁set ▁in ▁Sus sex <0x0A> </s> ▁Bob ▁Har vey ▁may ▁refer