The Need Summary
Phillips, Helen

Everything you need to understand or teach The Need by Phillips, Helen.

  • The Need Summary & Study Guide

The Need Overview

The Need is a novel by Helen Phillips. The protagonist, Molly, is a paleobiologist who has two young children and a husband, David, who is often out of town for work. One day, while David is out of town for an extended period, Molly discovers some strange artifacts at the site where she has been digging for fossils. Shortly after, a version of Molly from a parallel universe suddenly enters Molly’s universe and confronts Molly. The novel explores themes of parenting, anxiety, uncertainty, and sexism.