“Married at nineteen. A baby at twenty-two. Another one at twenty-four. A life lived in fast forward and now, apparently, she should peak and crest and then come slowly, contentedly down the other side, but it doesn’t feel as if there was ever a peak, rather than an abyss formed of trauma that keeps circling and circling with a knot of dread in the pit of her stomach.”

In this passage, Josie is at the Lansdowne with Walter, celebrating her birthday, and silently ruminating about her life. This quote shows the depth of Josie’s dissatisfaction, which will drive the events of the novel. It also gives the reader, a quick initial sketch of the major events of Josie’s life as she sees them.

“Then Zoe and Alix turn the conversation away from the Huge Coincidence and immediately Josie sees that it has passed, this strange moment of connection, that it was fleeting and weightless for Alix, but that for some reason it carries import and meaning to Josie, and she wants to grab hold of it and breath life back into it, but she can’t.”

Josie finds her connection to Alix deeply meaningful, and the juxtaposition of her reaction against Alix’s own, which is brief and fleeting, shows the dynamic that will develop further between the characters. Josie admires and is envious of Alix’s confidence and seemingly perfect life, and the impulse to insinuate herself into Alix’s life begins in this moment. Josie will capitalize on Alix’s understanding of The Sisterhood of Women to create the connection that, right now, only goes one way.

“She’s wearing a floral-print T-shirt with a blue denim skirt and has a handbag also made of blue denim. Alix notices the dog’s collar and lead are blue denim too and senses a theme. Some people have that, she ponders, a repeat motif, some defining aesthetic tic that somehow makes them feel protected.”

Josie is an accomplished seamstress, but nearly everything she makes is of denim—in fact, her neighbors refer to her as “Double Denim.” Alix’s response to Josie’s infatuation with denim also reveals something about her character—she is observant and thoughtful, but unlike Josie’s neighbor, she doesn’t mock or judge her. These qualities make Alix a successful interviewer but will also be tested as Josie reveals her story.