Summary

In Chapter 5, the author introduces a new character, Charity, the Nolans' former nanny and current housekeeper. Charity is Jamaican-American, fiercely devoted to the twins, and a source of information about the neighborhood for Nora, as she speaks with the other families' domestic workers.

Nora walks to work, reflecting once more on how the city has changed, and how she feels uncertain about her purpose in life now that her children are grown. She remembers moving to the city and living with Jenny while Jenny was working on her PhD in anthropology at Columbia. She recalls meeting Charlie at a bar while she was still getting over her college boyfriend, James. At that time Charlie felt safe and reliable, and he was studying to practice environmental law. Nora realizes that she has changed drastically from the person she once was.

In Chapter...