payment page
Hannah is the primary protagonist of the novel and a highly skilled woodturner. All narrative details filter through her perspective, as the novel’s action shifts between her memories of past events and her present-day experiences. She often narrates the past with the same sense of immediacy that she does the present, and the novel ultimately demonstrates that the past and present are intimately connected for her. Hannah prides herself on being able to assess others, a trait she developed because as a child she had not realized her mother was leaving. When Owen disappears, her life and her sense of herself are overturned. Across the novel, she must resolve the tensions this creates. Because Hannah is a highly introspective person, much of this work happens internally. She has a rich inner life, often comparing people and situations to wood, and is more comfortable alone in her workshop than anywhere else. Once she starts looking for Owen, Hannah’s methods reveal her careful personality.
Hannah’s experience of childhood abandonment contributes to the distance she feels from most other people. Even in previous romantic relationships, such as her engagement with Jake, Hannah acknowledges she could not connect fully. The few people she effortlessly feels close to include Owen, her grandfather, and Jules. As Hannah readily admits, her tendency is to pull away from others, not move toward them. Bailey thus presents a formidable challenge, as they do not easily construct a positive relationship. Hannah’s childhood trauma leaves her unsure of how to engage as a family, and her desperation for Bailey’s approval only irritates her stepdaughter. During the course of the novel, Hannah gains confidence in her interactions with Bailey and realizes that demonstrating her reliability during hard times is crucial to forging a strong bond with Bailey.
