I was suddenly cautious. What if this diary revealed something discreditable?
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: Six months after her mother's death, Anna finally finds the courage to sort through Bronwen's belongings. Though she knows her mother's trunk might provide new evidence of her strained relationship with her mother, she does not anticipate locating her estranged father's diary inside. Initially, Anna begins consuming the diary with eagerness and curiosity. However, in this moment, Anna suddenly becomes wary. Not unlike the fears she associated with opening Bronwen's trunk, she fears that more deeply studying Francis's diary will reveal some ugly truth about him, and thus herself. This moment establishes the author's thematic interests in identity, attachment, origin, and the past.

I wanted someone to guide me through the rituals, someone who had been there before, any mother except mine.
-- Narrator (chapter 3)

Importance: The more time Anna spends studying her father's old journey, the more her mind shifts into reminiscence...