Summary

In Chapter 1, Lillian admires her aunt Sadie, who was an independent career woman in New York City. Sadie regularly sent Lillian cartoons with short poems about a character named Phoebe Snow. Later, Lillian models her advertising writing style off her aunt’s writing. Despite Lillian’s love for Sadie, Lillian’s mother disapproves of Sadie since Sadie’s life is not like her own. In 1984, Lillian’s son Gian calls her on New Year’s Eve (Chapter 2). Gian and his daughters have returned to Maine after visiting Lillian in New York the week before. He tells Lillian that his stepmother, Julia, has suffered a heart attack and will likely die. Later in the call, he again asks his mother if she will move to Maine with him because of the increasing danger in New York. Lillian refuses. After she gets off the call...