Book excerpt: In 1920, the three Crenshaw children are orphaned. Brenda despairs over her separation from her brothers. Eventually, she finds solace with her neighbor, Nicholas. Reginald quickly accepts his new life on a farm. After a failed marriage, during World War II, he finds the woman who fills his life with meaning. Mathew grieves most severely. He settles into the life of a poet in France. He finds the love he longed for. Her demise sinks him into deep despair. When he returns to America, he is rescued by a new love. The trials of separation, war, and lost loved ones trigger the human instinct to recover in the Crenshaws. They find acceptable substitutes.