Summary

One – Narration describes the route by which Naomi finds her way to a secluded beach on the Greek island of Hydra, every morning while her father and stepmother (who do not know about these trips) are sleeping. “… every morning,” narration comments, “she felt the same listless and vague expectation, the same dissatisfaction with the tempo of the world as she knew it” (4). She has a swim, and then makes her way back to the village, noting the appearance of two women – one older, one younger – who seem to be tourists, but who also seem to be settling in comfortably. She joins them, and learns they are mother and daughter, Amy and Samantha (Sam). As Naomi settles herself on a beach chair, Amy notices that “…there was something in the unfurling of her body that drew attention to itself” (7), and mentally labels her...