The story is told by Barry, now retired, who is asked by a dying friend and former judge to look into a custody case in which he believes he made the wrong decision about a child called Matilda.
After his friend's death, Barry is sent papers and tapes, and despite considerable misgivings about his ability to help, does as his friend asked.
To some extent, his involvement in Matilda's case is to distance himself from the way his wife, Pat, is behaving.
Their son and his wife have separated and Pat has become completely estranged from her former daughter-in-law, Nerida, who has custody of the couple's children.
The result is that Pat and Barry no longer see their grandchildren, so Pat joins a group advocating grandparents' rights.
Increasingly distressed, she does things that increase Nerida's animosity and decrease the likelihood of seeing the children.
Although more of this fascinating novel is about Barry's quest, also addressed is the contemporary issue of how grandparents can lose contact with loved grandchildren in bitter separation situations.
