Summary

In the Prologue, Anna stands on a hillside above the Mediterranean just before midnight, surrounded by revelers. As fireworks erupt from a barge offshore, she feels exhilarated and carefree, not thinking about Callum or her worries, but only about the spectacle in front of her.

In Chapter 1, Anna, an American graduate student living in London on a visa, takes a train to Brighton to teach at the Roedean boarding school but cannot afford the full fare. She pretends to sleep to avoid the ticket inspector, and when confronted, she invents a story about staying with a friend and working at Roedean. A posh woman across the aisle supports her, and the inspector lets her off with only a warning. Though relieved, she feels ashamed of the deception, reflects on her financial precarity, and resolves that this will be the last time. She...