The Effects of Divorce

Divorce has a direct effect on the couple who decide they can no longer live as husband and wife and on the children whose parents will no longer be living together. Isabella Thornton, the 11-year-old narrator of this novel, is affected by her parents' divorce.

Isabella's parents, Isaiah and Nicole, have been divorced for a few years by the time Isabella is 11 years old. Immediately after the divorce, Isabella remained in Cincinnati with Nicole. She visited Isaiah at his new home in California. Eventually, Isaiah moved back to Cincinnati, and the custody agreement regarding Isabella's life was adjusted. She now splits her time evenly between her two parents. One of the effects of the divorce is the weekly ritual Isabella calls “exchange day.” On Sunday afternoon, Isabella goes to the mall with the parent who had custody that week. She is then handed...