Jennifer Lash, the mother of actor Ralph Fiennes, died five years ago, and in her last novel she portrays the disintegration of a seemingly cursed Irish family. Matriarch Violet Farr essentially ignores her closet homosexual husband; disagreeable son Lumsden is an uncontrollable alcoholic who likes little girls too much; and Lumsden's illegitimate son comes to live with his grandparents, prompting Violet to interpret - and misinterpret - the bad blood in her family. Yet out of these somewhat unpromising elements, Ms. Lash constructs a story of tragedy and redemption not unlike the plays of Eugene O'Neill. Primal fears, alcoholism, the looming presence of a crumbling estate in Ireland and memorable characters - all make this a moving experience.