Agathe has flown to France to empty and sell her childhood home. The trip brings her back into the orbit of her mute younger sister, Véra, whom she hasn’t seen in 15 years. The friction between the sisters provides the novel’s subtle heat. Dusapin’s spare, restrained style lends itself well to the emotional static that snaps between the estranged adult siblings, even with the added challenge that Véra communicates only through gestures, by scribbling on pieces of paper or by tapping words into her phone.