The novel, which is told backward through third-person narrative, takes place in 1940s London during and after World War II.

The storyline follows the fragmented lives and the strange interconnections between Kay, Helen and Julia, three lesbians; Viv, a straight woman; and Duncan, her brother, whose sexuality is ambiguous.

The war, with its never-ending night watches, serves as a horrifying backdrop and metaphor of the morbidity that surrounds life and love.

Duncan accompanies Mr Mundy, or "Uncle Horace," as he refers to him in public, to his Christian Science doctor at Lavender Hill.

They take a walk, and when another air raid alarm sounds, they run and hide from the chaos.

Nights later, she realizes she's late to go home from Julia's, and they hurry back to Helen and Kay's flat.

On a crowded train, Viv meets a soldier named Reggie, who tells her he is stuck in an unhappy marriage.

[1] On the July/Aug 2006 issue of Bookmarks, the book received a (4.0 out of 5) stars, with the critical summary stating, "For a few critics the risky narrative device robs the book of its suspense, but in the final tally most writers agree that the view from the other end of the telescope is "an elegant and profound device" (Guardian)".

[3] It was adapted by Paula Milne and directed by Richard Laxton and was broadcast on 12 July 2011 on BBC Two.