When Mr Lal's wife becomes ill and dies, he evolves a grandiose plan to build a monument in her honour. His Taj will be a tribute to his culture and a memorial to his own struggle as a migrant and outsider. His search for land takes him to Pelican: a coastal commune on the outskirts of town.
Marie's past involved a scandal at this commune. Decades on, she wants to make amends, renewing contact with long-term residents who are now trying to redefine their purpose. First Marie and then her sister become entangled in the commune's way of life, uncovering facts and facing needs that neither knew about themselves. In Trundle, human behaviour is at its best and worst. Unexpected kindness and the rebirth of love counteract the crooked deals, racism, perversion and violence which show that small-town life is anything but uneventful.