ToElena,existenceisaneffort—notonlydoesshestruggleagainstherbodyaffectedbyParkinson’s,butherdaughterhasjustshownupdeadandonlyshefindsthesuicidehypothesisimplausible.Elenaisnotagoodvictim,anddoesn’tshowsignsofhavingbeenaselflessmother.Sheisvulnerable,butalsoovercomebyrageandsorrow,andthatstubbornnessseemstorenderherinvincible,againstallodds.Butinvestigatingthereasonsforherdaughter’sdeathsoonbecomesatripthroughmemory,and,aswe’veknownsincethetimeofGreektragedies,everyinvestigationis,deepdown,aninvestigationaboutoneself.ElenaKnowssubmergesusinthephysicalandmentalexperienceofitsprotagonistand,atthesametime,invitesustoaskourselvesuncomfortablequestionsaboutaging,thecomplexityofmother-daughterbondsandtheweightofthosemandateswomendragthesamewayElenadragsherfeet.