Magic and colour abound for Jacqueline Clancy in the small town of Tooradulla, until her mother Imelda suddenly dies. Neither she nor her siblings are told the truth, ad she retreats into a fantasy life. Soon it appears that her small town is about to expel her. With the help of her invisible friends Lou and Betty, Jacqueline attempts to get rid of the usurper, her Aunt Mina. In Part Two, a much older Jacqueline has been betrayed by her husband Vaughan, who has left her for the younger Nuala.

It is the classic tale of a woman who wants to put her children first: she has a family of three, but has to fight off loneliness and the need for love in her life. The author expertly explores the dilemma of a woman who lost out in love in her young life and is now asked to let the certainty of her marriage go and risk having her heart broken again.