The Sweet Hereafter is a novel about a tragic school bus accident that kills most of the children of a small town in upstate New York. The story deals with themes of loss and retribution, following the grieving parents of the children, who are convinced by a lawyer to file a lawsuit. The suit erodes what is left of the community, exposing feuds, addictions and unsavory sexual affairs. The lawyer's anger over his estranged and drug-addicted daughter can be seen as the motive for his pushing the lawsuit.