From award-winning author Wayne Johnston comes a tragicomic tale about a large, wealthy Newfoundland family in which the iconoclastic youngest daughter, Vivvy, finds herself in a battle with her siblings, not just for her own survival, but also for that of a five-year-old orphan named Ivan.

At twenty-eight, Vivvy Holloway is nearly the same height as when she was five. Though she hides her face behind a veil, a different colour for each day of the week, she brandishes an acerbic wit. Having just spent eight years of the 1930s in a convent failing to become a nun, Vivvy is now returning to Holloway Hall, where she will contend with the disappointment of those on whom she depends: Vivvy’s older sister, Freda, a doctor, and their ten brothers, all of whom are clerics.
Holloway Hall remains the largest private dwelling in Newfoundland, but the house, the family fortune, and Holloway Incorporated, established in 1823, are now solely owned by Freda, who is also its sole occupant, save for the five-year-old “special member of the family” known as Ivan, who came home with Freda after her failed marriage in the Congo, where she and her husband were missionaries until tragedy struck.
Over the course of a single tumultuous week at Holloway Hall, Vivvy must learn to navigate a world that is offended by her very existence. Charged with looking after Ivan while Freda works long days at the hospital, Vivvy finds herself increasingly concerned about his welfare. Why does Freda insist on giving him nightly medical exams, and why does she keep such tight control over his meals? As Vivvy clashes with Freda and the rest of her family, the many secrets of Holloway Hall are unveiled, one by one, until an unforgettable confrontation changes all their lives forever.