Former poet laureate Dorothy Moy has always channeled her dissociative episodes and mental health into her work. When her daughter starts showing similar behaviors and remembering items from the lives of past ancestors, Dorothy worries she'll lose custody. So she undergoes an experimental treatment to alleviate inherited trauma, becoming intimately connected with the past generations of women in her family.

Jamie Ford's premise is an ambitious undertaking, but he succeeds in giving each time period a distinct feel. 
Quickly, you'll become attached to each character's short story, which was a bit depressing when you realize that each ancestor's story will end badly, hence the inherited trauma. Dorothy's timeline was not as intriguing as the rest since she was a foil to dive into the accumulated weight of trauma, but overall the story really makes you stop and think.