The island

The island is the location of the Munro house and the extended Doughty family and it symbolizes how the family has set itself apart from the rest of the world. Being set apart from the mainland adds to the mystique of the Munro Baby Mystery and has allowed the family to generate wealth for many years.

Regency romances

Sophie is very fond of reading regency romances and they symbolize the romanticism of life she prefers to reality. These may have given her a false view of love because she expects someone dashing and handsome to whisk her away to create a life together. She does reach a point where she wishes she had invested more time in cultivating her own romance instead of reading about the love stories of other people.

River

The river that flows by Aunt Connie's house is symbolic for the passing...