"It is a crisp December day when Annette Byrne walks to the end of her long, curving driveway and drops five sealed envelopes into the mailbox. Quickly. Before second thoughts stay her hand. Shortly thereafter, with the holidays approaching, her estranged family, intimate enemies, will be gathered at her country estate for the first time in years." "The sons...two brothers embittered by a breach of ethics, honor, and trust. The grandchildren...one young couple on the verge of divorce; another, lovingly united against the parents who have tarnished their lives. As the ill-fated meeting hurtles toward a bitter and abrupt conclusion, not even Annette Byrne's indomitable will can heal the rift - until a shattering event alters the landscape forever."--BOOK JACKET.