Guilt

Guilt is a theme of the novel. Ian Bedloe feels guilty for telling his brother Danny that his wife is cheating on him. This guilt leads him to leave college and raise Danny and Lucy’s children. He gives up on his former life and loses his girlfriend because of the guilt he feels. When he discovers that Lucy was not cheating on his brother, he feels even more guilt. This guilt eats away at him and makes him question himself and his actions. It also makes him jaded to the actions of others.

Ian throws himself into caring for Lucy and Danny’s children, while not enjoying a life of his own. He puts his own life on hold while he cares for the young children. Daphne is just a baby, so Ian is into his forties before he begins to ponder his own happiness...