Family

Throughout the novel, Napolitano’s depiction of the Padavano sisters as a single entity helps to gesture towards the profound power of family. At many points in the narrative, various characters comment on the physical similarities between Julia, Sylvie, Cecelia, and Emeline. Their shared appearance acts as a metaphor for their emotional closeness; early in the novel, William notes that he “had always known that he’d married not just his wife but her family too. At the start of their relationship, Julia had brought her three sisters to his college basketball game to make it clear that she came as part of a unit, and he’d accepted that. Julia had legally changed her last name to his, but for all intents and purposes, he’d joined the Padavanos” (95). As he watches Sylvie and Julia share a couch, he admits that “the deepest union in...