Past

The inescapable nature of the past serves as one of the predominate themes throughout the novel. As the novel changes perspectives in order to address both Anna and Trudy’s lived experiences, images of the past draw the stories together.

After Anna leaves Germany, she wishes for her past to remain behind her. She repeatedly dismisses her daughter’s attempt to bring up her past life in Germany. She tries to assure herself that the past is dead, although she knows in her heart that this is not true. She cannot escape from her German identity. Her new city in the United States bears many resemblances to her home in Germany. She is also faced with xenophobia from the women in town and thus excluded from social situations. As much as she would like to leave the past behind her, it has followed her to her...