Family

Throughout the novel, family relationships are emphasized as meaningful interpersonal connections that are powerful conduits of both strife and fulfillment, depending on the actions and choices of each family member. The most prominent example of this dynamic is that of Eve and Brendan. Brendan is Eve’s only son, and his departure for college is the inciting incident for almost everything that happens to Eve in the narrative. Eve feels lonely and adrift because she is living by herself for the first time in many years. This loneliness starts to show when Eve helps Brendan move into his dorm room: “Eve felt old and excluded, as if everyone else was going to a party to which she hadn’t been invited. It’s not fair, she wanted to tell them” (16). Moreover Eve still feels responsible for Brendan and struggles with the physical and emotional distance that...