Focus or rigidity (depending on one's' point of view) from the inside. This book is about how a girl who has a live sister and a dead brother orders her days. Sophie is a very introspective girl, and being inside her head, with its rules and regulations, was a disconcerting experience for me. The growth that happens as all the members of her family move forward in time away from her brother's death, and the things time does to grief and memories are beautifully presented. I liked this book very much, and found it both believable and moving.