Kate and Tim tell the story of their practically perfect life (he's a history teacher in a posh private school; she's a stay-at-home mom) in alternating chapters. Brooklyn Heights, their neighborhood, rife with social strata, rules, and conventions, is rocked by a newcomer, Anna Brody, the beautiful, mysterious wife of a very wealthy man who latches onto the couple. Then, when opportunities impel Kate back to work, Tim becomes the at-home parent, ostensibly at work on his long-delayed dissertation. An old flame of Kate's, now a TV star, stirs up more mischief, while Bea, a student of Tim's with a crush, offers her perspective. Ultimately, deceptions replace perfect openness.