In 'Unless,' Reta Winters' world is turned upside down when her eldest daughter Norah leaves university to sit on a street corner with a placard that simply reads 'goodness.' The once content writer of light summertime fiction, Reta finds herself on a poignant and often humorous quest to understand her daughter's decision. Her search leads her through a deep examination of society, family, and the sources of hope and meaning in life. This final novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Carol Shields offers an incisive and moving exploration of ordinary lives facing extraordinary challenges.