Chapters 1 & 2 Summary

The novel opens with a scene of sixteen-year-old protagonist Lily Parker sitting through the interview process for St. Sophia's School for Girls in Chicago. Even though Lily and her parents live in New York, her parents have decided that St. Sophia's will be the perfect boarding school for their daughter as they travel to Munich, Germany for a twenty-four month research fellowship. The women in the interview constantly remind Lily what a wonderful opportunity St. Sophia's provides, and that she should feel grateful to even have been given an interview. Because she felt somewhat disinterested, Lily is genuinely surprised when she receives her acceptance letter. A few days later, she's at the airport saying goodbye to her parents, preparing to create a new life for herself in Illinois. She notices that her parents don't seem thrilled about leaving for Germany, but that could...