Structure

The book is divided into eight parts, with the first and last forming bookends with the surrogate Maggie Nelson character trying to understand the case of Jane in the surreal world of her imagination. In between, the sections chart Nelson's journey as she tries to follow the trail of Jane through her life. She starts from the beginning, using the journal and diary entries as a means of establishing Jane's character, all the while adding her own recollections and reactions to the events transpiring, which are dreamlike states of reflection. The sections slowly build up the emotional tension within Nelson, as she grapples with the limitations of what she had set out to accomplish, realizing that facts are not the end goal, but instead some sort of emotional understanding is what she needs to aim for, which is underwhelming in a sense. The first part sets the...