The Author describes in beautiful detail how the death of an Aunt she never knew was a shadow over her childhood and family. Who gets to tell the tale when someone is murdered? How much can they possibly know about the interior lives of those they have lost? When does the person's death become more important than their life? Do the family's need to maintain a perfect facade to be worthy of one's empathy? Nelson delves deep and is frank about her own family and faults...sometimes to a very uncomfortable degree.