Because, in many ways, it was the same experience.
-- Narrator (Pages 1 - 71)

Importance: At the start of the novel, the third person narrator assumes an omniscient stance. In so doing, she is able to lead the reader into the narrative world, and simultaneously establish the narrative stakes. In this untitled, opening section, the narrator particularly focuses on the day the boxes arrive. She goes on to explain not only the boxes' appearance and their contents, but the ways in which the characters respond to the mysterious boxes. In this moment, she asserts that the boxes present the possibility of unity and connection. Because all of the adult characters are receiving the same object on the same day, they are innately joined together by their common experience. This moment therefore introduces the author's interest in exploring interconnection, while foreshadowing the ways in which the boxes will divide the narrative world.

Nina's future suddenly felt just...
-- Narrator (Pages 1 - 71)