Arthur McMillan was famous for his work in the diplomatic service. Now he wants nothing more than an uneventful retirement.

That won't be possible.

The story opens as he finds a manuscript, a biography of him written by his mother, Eleanor. He is shocked, angry and disappointed in her. These two have contended all his life and there is no reason to change that just because she's dead. As he reads, Arthur is forced to acknowledge the death of his wife, and to face his own aging and mortality.

Meanwhile, Eleanor's more complex character unfolds in her writing and family members' remembrances. This playful, feuding mother-son relationship comes to life as Eleanor's written words push Arthur into humorous and sometimes compromising situations.