Prepare yourself to be sad; this novel begins on a tragic note. William Waters is less than a week old when his 3-year-old sister Caroline, suffering from a fever and cough, dies suddenly. His parents find her dead in her crib.
The devastation of Caroline’s death leaves the parents incapable of looking at William directly or loving him. His childhood is punctuated by silences, disregard, and ambivalence. He often feels invisible, certainly undeserving of love, and acutely lonely. He is not physically abused, but the emotional neglect leaves deep scars.
