Content Warning: This novel contains descriptions of emotional abuse, death by suicide, and stigmatizing and potentially offensive language and stereotypes regarding people with mental health conditions. Its contents are reflected in this study guide.

Joanne Atkinson is the novel’s first-person narrator and protagonist. Joanne is a first-time mother to her four-month-old daughter, Evie, and lives with her husband, Richard, whose income supports them both. Joanne left her real estate job to be a full-time mother in a large countryside house, where they moved when Joanne was pregnant. Before Chloe’s arrival, Joanne’s primary conflicts are internal, as she experiences loneliness and insecurity as a result of The Isolation and Challenges of Full-Time Motherhood. Joanne is lonely and initially excited to meet Chloe, “fantasizing non-stop about the two of [them] becoming close” (32). However, as soon as Chloe arrives, she begins to pick at Joanne’s insecurities, like Joanne’s age, inability to breastfeed, and feelings of unattractiveness in her post-partum body. Joanne’s isolation and loneliness make her vulnerable to Chloe’s gaslighting. Chloe’s gaslighting and Richard’s denial often work in tandem against Joanne, emphasizing her isolation. Throughout the novel, Joanne battles with Richard over Chloe’s behavior.