The first chapter introduces one of the novel’s three protagonists, Cecilia Fitzpatrick. Cecilia has accidentally found a mysterious envelope addressed to her by her husband, John-Paul, tucked in among some travel souvenirs. The envelope appears to be several years old and is addressed to her, with the indication that it should only be opened in the event of John-Paul’s death. John-Paul is away in the United States for business, so Cecilia is left to worry about what the letter could contain and whether or not she should read it. The mother of three daughters, Isabel, Esther, and Polly, Cecilia describes her life as ordinary—“a typical suburban mum”— but she prides herself on being organized and efficient in family management (6). Though Cecilia is proud of this ability, when faced with praise from other mothers who struggle to maintain the same level of family organization, she muses that she “didn’t actually understand what they found so difficult” (7).

Cecilia’s anxiety about the letter branches into thoughts of other anxieties, including what she calls “little Spider-Man flying” (8): Cecilia was recently witness to a car accident in which a young boy, approximately five years old, stepped off the curb and was hit and killed by oncoming traffic.