This is an exquisitely sad, haunting book by a talented Canadian author. When Paul and Lise Unger's adolescent son, Stephen, dies, they are understandably bereft and consumed by their grief and guilt. Stephen's strange girlfriend, Nicole, is pregnant with a son who later becomes the center of Paul's world. This novel is dark and will stay with me for quite awhile. Although I found none of the characters likable, they were convincingly portrayed. I am impressed by David Bergen's ability to convey the depths and levels of grief when a child predeceases his parents.