How do you mourn someone you've never met?
After the death of Nani, the grandmother she's never met, Shanti travels to India with her mother for a thirteen-day mourning period. There, Shanti discovers thirteen letters addressed to her, written by Nani: one letter for each day of mourning, delving into the history of her family and her people. The more she learns, the better Shanti understands the fissures that haunt her family--her parents' divorce, her mother's estrangement from Nani, and Shanti's own struggle to connect with her mother. As she realizes that Nani's history, flaws, and strength are all part of her, Shanti uses the letters' lessons to change her own life.