Janet

Janet, the story’s protagonist, is a divorced, middle-aged writer who has gained some success. She is Canadian and lives in Vancouver, and as a child, she lived in Dalgleish, Ontario. She has two daughters, Nichola and Judith. Throughout the story, she tends to her ailing father and reflects upon her own family relationships, regretting she is not closer with her daughters.

Janet struggles emotionally with the possibility of her father’s imminent death, and she attempts to both confront and avoid her fear in different ways. Janet is very interested in fashion, including buy clothes and making her own, and she uses that interest as a temporary distraction. Janet is the family member that is most involved in her father’s care, and the experience forces her to reflect on her family relationships in general.

Father

Janet’s Father is the other central character of the story...