Eilish Stack

Eilish Stack is the main character of the novel. The third person narration is largely limited to her point of view. This means that the narrator inhabits Eilish’s consciousness throughout the majority of the novel and describes the narrative world according to her psyche. Therefore, Eilish’s perspective, her sensibilities, and her emotions dictate the novel’s primary tensions and propel the narrative from beginning to end.

Eilish is married to Larry Stacks, with whom she has four children: Mark, Molly, Bailey, and Ben. At the start of the novel, Eilish is leading an ordinary, middle-class life. She works as a microbiologist in Dublin, Ireland. When she is not at work, she devotes herself to her family’s care and her household’s maintenance. Shortly prior to the narrative present, Eilish gave birth to Ben, who is just a few months old. She has recently returned...