"Unforgiving Sun" is a multi-generational saga centered around protagonist Sophie MacDougal. The tale begins with Sophie on her deathbed, an invitation to examine her inner machinations against the backdrop of a Catholic nursing home. Her primary caregiver, Chester Canonoczech, uses his literary background to develop characters for his degenerated clientele in stark contrast to Sophie's unconcerned family. Sophie is both pitiful and rebellious, off-putting and heartbreaking. As she passes into the next world, Sophie is processed, labeled, and sent to different departments as chapters of her life open and close. Along the way, Sophie meets another mother on a similar journey. Melanie Budisch is the wife of a Wisconsin politician turned family annihilator. The title, "Unforgiving Sun," references one of the flashbacks in which Sophie plays at the beach with her middle child, Ray. It is the only memory he will admit to cherishing as he serves in Afghanistan as a sharp-shooter. The internal struggle over his hatred is ironically revealed as he angrily regrets an unconscious smile. This grudge defines him, the middle child of an unstable home.