Marcia Moss is desperate for a beach vacation. Her husband David’s vision for a family trip—to Disney’s store brand neighbor—is the one she’ll need a vacation from. Marcia stays sane with a daily walk, pretending to blend with the fit and friendly morning people even though she doesn’t exercise. Accustomed to practical fantasy, Marcia invents lives for her morning cast of characters. Each day in the parks brings a series of false starts and expensive stops. The Moss’ marriage is tested when David discovers Marcia’s friendship with a male coworker, putting further strain on the vacation. As the morning people gradually reveal their actual stories to the reader, a braided narrative uncovers the hard truth Marcia misses—including the needs of her own family. Themes include coping with insecurity, socioeconomic inequality and feeling less than, and why it's never good to make assumptions about other people.