Lily Maynard was seventy-two when her frank memoir made her a literary star. Waspish and unapologetic, she turned family pain into personal triumph. Now, years later, stricken with Parkinson's, her formidable powers fading, she's staying with her son Alan, a New England architect, for whom long-buried resentments are beginning to surface. For Lily, so are unbidden memories of what really formed her life, ended her marriage, and estranged her from her children. As the delicate family balance is upended again, it's time for Lily and Alan to reconsider the past and make the most of what's left of their future as mother and son. Profound and deeply affecting, The Distinguished Guest reveals a family coming to terms with itself, and the inevitable loss, grief, and rage that only forgiveness can ever hope to heal.