The Protagonist

The protagonist is a middle-aged woman with four children. Stacy is the oldest child from her first marriage to Frank. After Frank and the protagonist divorce, she marries Leo. They have three children together named Ben, Gillian, and Jake. Though the protagonist expresses gratitude for her family, her perpetual exhaustion prevents the protagonist from feeling like anything more than a mediocre wife and mother. Before she falls ill with cancer, the protagonist works as a college history professor. She eventually overcomes her sickness and adopts a career as a baker instead of returning to Peolia College where she taught.

The protagonist suffers from severe anxiety, which Ellmann conveys through the endless worries that afflict her. These thoughts provide an honest commentary on the current state of America and expose the various political, environmental, and social issues plaguing the nation. Interspersed with these concerns are frequent memories from...