Summary

In the Prologue, Carolina “Lina” Emerson, the narrator, describes the worst day of her life. She says she knew her life from that point forward would be marked by that day. Lina notes that her mother, Hadley Emerson, told her about Howard Mercer on that day. She does not say outright what the terrible news was that changed her life but does include the words “Inoperable. Incurable” (3) indicating that her mother had cancer.

Lina also does not tell her reader in a straightforward manner that her mother told her that Howard was her father. She indicates only that her mother did finally tell her why she was suddenly sharing so many stories about her friend Howard and indicated that “ignorance is bliss” (3). Lina’s mother told her that she wanted Lina to go to Florence, Italy where Howard lived after she died...