Next of kin

the long version

More than twenty years ago, a young American named Carolyn, originally from California, came to the Meredith family farm, marrying Robin Meredith and settling—never quite comfortably—into rural English life. Yet after her death, her grieving husband, who has long slept in a separate bedroom, wonders how well he really knew her. But Robin is not the only one left vulnerable; his brother, parents, and Judy, his daughter and Caro's step-daughter, are all thrown by the absence of the woman who had become a central figure in their lives. As they each struggle to cope with Caro's death, Judy's friend Zoe arrives from London and brings with her hope for a new beginning. All recognize that she is a catalyst for change. Zoe finds something compelling in the Meredith's strenuous, earthbound lifestyle—and in Robin....