Summary

In Part 1, Chapter 1, the novel opens in Syracuse, New York in the year 2017. Samantha “Sam” Raymond lives in Syracuse, and she plans on moving into a house in a different part of the city. The house is located in a neighborhood that has fallen into relative neglect. In Chapter 2, the narration reveals that Sam has decided to leave her husband, which is why she is going to move to the house mentioned in the previous chapter. The house is located on Highland Street, and it is in need of major repairs. Sam is 53 years old. She has grown discontented in her marriage to her husband, Matt. Sam and Matt have a teenage daughter, Ally. Sam fantasizes about relative independence, as well as escaping the bourgeois comfort of the more affluent suburb where she currently lives. In Part 1, Chapter 3, Sam calls her...