Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses the novel’s exploration stillbirth.

“All four of the girls watched their parents from disparate vantage points across the lawn, each alerted initially to their absence from the reception by that pull, a vestigial holdover from childhood, seeking the cognitive comfort that came from the knowing, the geolocation, the proximity of those who’d created you, those who would always feel beholden to you, no matter what; each of their four daughter paused what she was doing in order to watch them, the shrinking unfathomable orb of their parents, two people who emanated more love than it seemed like the universe could sanction.”

This passage introduces two key themes that pervade the entire novel. The first is that of The Irrevocable Bonds of Family. The members of the Sorenson family are closely connected, and their lives constantly come together even when they try to pull away from one another. The second theme is The Role of Parental Love in Family Dynamics. Marilyn and David have a strong relationship, and this relationship is the nucleus of their family, for better and for worse. While the children grow up feeling both secure in their parents’ love, they also feel outside of it, which causes some resentment and alienation.

“Of course she needed him, on a molecular level, the deepest kind of human need. But she didn’t need his help.”

These words represent the changing nature of Marilyn and David’s relationship. Their children are grown in Chapter 1, and Marilyn is running a hardware store while David is retired. Marilyn realizes that she can take care of herself, but she still has a deeper need for David.

“[B]ecause of course there was no such thing as normalcy when it came to her sister, because of course she wasn’t entitled to a post-naptime snuggle with her baby boy, not as long as Wendy was around to light fires and push her buttons.”

These words describe a crucial aspect of Wendy’s character, her attraction to drama. They also describe Violet’s desire for normalcy and her desire to parent and protect her two youngest children. Finally, they present the degree to which Violet ignores the needs of others and prioritizes her own well-being.