Summary

In the page preceding Chapter 1, the narrator Esther arrives at her new home in New Mexico with her mother, sister Hannah, and stepfather Tom. The family stands over the empty pool in the backyard. Everything is dry and chapped, including Esther.

In Chapter 1, Esther struggles to adjust. She misses her life in Ohio, is irritated by her mother's constant efforts to fit in, and by Tom's attempts to cover his past. At dinner, Esther's mom says they should all try to make friends.

In Chapter 2, Tom hires a cleaning company to come to the house once a week. Esther and Hannah put together a box of clothes for donation. Esther still has not unpacked her room when the cleaners arrive. She is surprised to see the person pushing the vacuum looks to be about her same age. The girl does not mind the...