Rosemary O'Neal lived for eight years with William, in a rambling country house in Maine. Then William committed suicide on a trip to London, leaving her with questions, anger, and no way to say goodbye. When her zany family descends on the house, bringing a tidal wave of casseroles and their own petty problems, Rosemary retreats with her cat from the chaos of the world around them. (Her cat understands human nature better than Homo sapiens anyway.) It takes an unsettling turn of events to shock her back into the pitfalls of living and realize that life is a fleeting experience to be carefully savored.

Award-winning author Cathie Pelletier has been called "a bitingly funny, highly original novelist". In The Bubble Reputation, she redefines "dysfunctional" in this bittersweet, life-affirming story about the idiosyncrasies of family, the anguish of grief, and finding peace after chaos.