The Past

Over the course of the novel, the author uses Emily’s and Mari’s concurrent storylines in order to explore the ways in which one’s past might impact her life in the present. In the opening chapters of Emily’s storyline, Emily feels as if the entirety of her life has been “a complete and utter shit show” for the past year (7). In Chapter 1, when she meets up with Chess at “this little café in Asheville,” she cannot help but compare the recent events of Chess’s life to the recent events of her own life (7). While Chess has been experiencing success in her career, Emily feels that her life has been unraveling: “Career stalling out? Check. Health suddenly terrible for no reason that any doctor can figure out? Check. Husband deciding to leave after seven years of seemingly happy marriage? Fucking check” (7, Hawkins...