Anne McBain, a marine biologist working with Elliot Newhouse, the head of a research team investigating the northern elephant seals in California, discovers she is carrying Elliot s child. During this crisis, Anne s father, Malcolm, who sexually abused Anne for years, dies of a heart attack. These events force Anne to begin a personal journey, rediscovering the awful truth of the sexual abuse as well as its denial by her mother, Nellie. Determined not to follow Nellie s self-indulgent path, Anne steps away from her fear and incapacity toward a final affirmation of herself. Interwoven in this elaborate plot are rich metaphors and detailed descriptions of the Pacific Northwest landscape and fauna. Though the characters themselves seem generally less endearing than the overwritten narrative, this promising first novel is worth adding to general fiction collections.