The book, which was Laveau-Harvie's first, explores the author's dysfunctional relationship with her mother, who experienced narcissistic personality disorder.

Laveau-Harvie has been estranged from her parents for eighteen years, having moved to France as a young adult and then to Australia.

[2] After winning the Stella Prize, the book was published by Penguin Random House in the United States in August 2020.

[3] Laveau-Harvie described the experience of going from her debut book falling out of print to winning a major literary award as "a fairytale".

[11] Reviewers praised Laveau-Harvie's ability to balance grief and humour, as well as the quality of her writing and her vivid descriptions of the Canadian winter landscape.