In August the two heroines must be viewed as a unit, for together they illustrate Rossner's major theme, the power of friendship and understanding in combating loneliness. Both Dawn and Lulu have a tremendous need for love. At first, the relationship is onesided and professional only, but as Dawn matures and recovers, Lulu becomes an equal recipient in the exchange. Together, the two of them demonstrate the power of friendship, and both benefit from it. For both, reality seems to exist only in Lulu's office.

When Rossner depicts Lulu with her friends and family, her private life seems drab and unreal and the reader, too, wants to hurry back to the couch.

Lulu's own life shows many parallels to Dawn's. Her mother was an unfulfilled artist-type, her father an alcoholic. She too has suffered loss, with her mother committing suicide, her first husband finding another woman even before...