Sunday

Sunday is the central protagonist and narrator of the story. Right from the start, we understand that she is neurodivergent, exhibiting behaviors that would likely be identified as being on the autism spectrum today. Things like her restricted diet of only white foods, intense special interests like Sicilian folklore, and difficulties navigating social situations clue readers into her neurodivergence. Rather than applying clinical labels, the book aims to depict her experiences and inner world authentically and organically.

One of the most poignant aspects of Sunday's character is her marginalization - both from her own family as well as society at large. We learn that even her own mother resented her differences, wishing the 'normal' daughter, Dolores, had survived instead. This intergenerational trauma looms large, with Sunday constantly made to feel she isn't 'wired right.' Her simple life with daughter Dolly is upended by the glamorous arrivals of...