Mimi, abandoned by her charming, handsome and philandering father as a child, falls in love with a charming, handsome and philandering man who abandons her in marriage. Mimi's courage, determination and humour illuminate this beautifully written love story, as Scrivener peppers her lifelong search for contentment with anecdotes of Sydney from the past eighty years; tsunamis on Bondi Beach, bizarre hospital cases, and a cast of iconic figures from the city's close-knit medical and artistic communities.