Structured around two parallel narratives, it begins with the words of Jim Foley, a writer, who is penning a kind of love letter in the form of a computer diary to his wife, Kate. In it he documents his present life, his struggles with writing and bringing up their two children, in the aftermath of her death. This ongoing narrative is interspersed with the text of the book Jim is writing, in which he recounts the story of his own childhood, upbringing, young adulthood and meeting with Kate.