Maija Deroche

The lives of the Chrysalis quartet members-Christine, Crystal, Alice, and Lisa-continue to be intertwined with worry about failing mothers and troubles of the younger generation, issues with childbirth, and new relationships with representatives of other cultures and nations. Problematic social and cultural issues create tension, yet form strong ties through a web of interlacing fates and mutual problem-solving on such questions as... What should Christine's gay brother Magnus do about his wish to be a parent? Has Lisa's experience with Doctors Without Borders been worth the disturbance for her peace of mind? How can everyone be supportive of Stephanie, a pregnant teen? What will they do about Kaisa, Alice's elderly mother, who insists her new neighbor is a murderer?

Years after high school, Christine, Crystal, Alice, and Lisa return to the Finger Lakes to perform again as Chrysalis, their schooldays quartet. They discover that what still binds them together is not only their music but having to deal with their problematic mothers. One wonders what her deceased mother was like as a person, not just the "mother figure" she knew. Another thinks her mother lives her life recklessly. The parent perceived as controlling is also struggling to hide her Parkinson's from the outside world, and the fourth has burgeoning dementia. While the adult daughters are rediscovering harmony in their singing and in their friendships, the mothers form bonds of their own--bonds made of secrets and new discoveries--and ultimately they find answers that bring the mothers and their daughters to a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships to each other.