Loss

The author uses Jeanie and Julius's responses to their mother Dot's death to inspire a complex exploration on loss and grief. Jeanie and Julius Seed are no ordinary siblings. Not only are they twins, but the brother and sister have lived in the house where they were born for the entirety of their adult lives. At 51, Jeanie and Julius have grown accustomed to their unconventional way of life. Therefore, when their mother dies suddenly in the middle of the night, the siblings are propelled into a state of uncertainty. Jeanie wonders at the start of the novel, "When your mother is dead on the kitchen floor is someone to blame?" (9). After having lost their father to alleged murder as children, Jeanie and Julius are unsure how to respond to and confront a life without their mother. In the case of Dot's death, the twins realize no...