Grave

The grave is symbolic of Erin's survival. At the beginning of the novel, Erin is in the middle of digging the grave. She compares it to running a marathon, but with dire consequences should she not finish. Her survival is connected to the completion of the task. Eventually it is revealed that Erin's life and that of her unborn child is at risk. Unless she can adequately dig the grave and hide her husband's body, she would likely spend a significant amount of her life in jail. The future of her survival rides on the grave not being discovered, so Erin can keep up the charade that he simply disappeared.

Storm

The tropical storm in Bora Bora represents a turning point in Mark's turmoil. The loss of his job sent him into a dark spiral, which was lightened only by his continued attempts to find a...