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Young Diana’s dream is to follow in her parents’ footsteps and become a successful surgeon. Her parents want a different life for her, but after trying to convince her otherwise, they allow her to work part-time as a nurse in the hopes she will lose a taste for medicine. Years later, the experiences have steered Diana toward a career teaching English. After her first year of university, a chance encounter with an unfamiliar young man in her train car blossoms a feeling of romance that burns for the entire journey. Just as quickly, the piece of paper with his phone number on it slips out of her hand and leaves her with no way to reach him. Older, divorced, and with children of her own, fate intervenes once more and gives Diana a chance to reconnect with someone she never thought she would ever see again.
This story follows Diana through three distinct phases of her life. Not only do the people and scenery around her change, but even her attitudes change, giving the reader a sense of what kinds of attitudes and priorities are prevalent for women of varying ages. The overall tone of the story is one that is optimistic, where Diana is able to have amazing experiences and accomplish her goals with hard work. Yet the specter of reality is often not far away. Love comes and goes with frightening speed, and time spent in the hospital in order to help heal others carries the constant potential for death at a moment’s notice. Diana’s story is heartbreaking yet hopeful, and the pendulous way the narrative swings between these two outcomes will have readers hooked to the end.