Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary

Ruth insists that she has drowned, but Aunt Amanda denies it, for there are things that children need not know. Amanda recalls how on 27 March, 1919, she agrees to take time off from her job in a Milwaukee hospital until she regains control of her life. She is a brilliant and beloved nurse but is too nauseous, tired, and uncoordinated to function. Her little sister, Mathilda, welcomes her, and Amanda cares for Mathilda and her baby Ruth, while Mathilda's husband Carl recuperates from war wounds in France. Amanda hopes that things will be like they were before he came between the sisters.

Part 1, Chapter 1 Analysis

The novel begins with Aunt Amanda disclaiming Ruth's life-long contention that she remembers drowning. Aunt Amanda insists that this is impossible, but then admits to the reader that she has consistently lied to the girl for her...