Summary

Chapter 1: Marian McAlpin is a woman in her mid-twenties with a college degree, living in an apartment in Toronto, and working for a marketing research company. Marian’s job consists of typing up questionnaires on new products and going door-to-door to ask people for their opinions. She lives with Ainsley, another young woman with a degree, who has a temporary job working at an office that handles defective toothbrush claims. The apartment they share is located on the top of a larger residence and the owner of the home is conservative, often complaining if the girls do anything that could “corrupt” her teenage daughter. Marian leaves for work and is stopped by the “woman down below” who complains about smoke from the apartment the night before when Ainsley was cooking. Marian misses the bus and ends up riding the next one with Ainsley. The women...