On the day that her youngest child leaves home, Alice Hatton discovers two disturbing truths in a matter of hours. The Empty Nest cliche is absolutely true, and she does not love her husband Peter at all. Horrified by the thought of spending another thirty years with Peter in their North London suburb, Alice embarks on a dubious course of self-fulfilment. When she must cope with loss for the second time, she discovers what even the most respectable woman can be capable of.