Astrid

Astrid is the head of the Strick family and the main character. Elliot, Porter, and Nicky are her children. Astrid’s husband Russell died many years earlier. At 68, she is in love with her hairdresser, Birdie, but is reluctant to tell her adult children about their relationship at the beginning of the novel. Astrid is a private person who often keeps her thoughts to herself, but she fears others keeping secrets from her. She is a fierce advocate for the town of Clapham, where she lives, and is eager to maintain its local charm by defending it against encroaching chain businesses.

Astrid struggles to communicate with all three of her children, and is preoccupied with mistakes she feels she made with all of them when they were growing up. One of her chief concerns throughout the novel is apologizing to Elliot for an incident that took place when...