Although alcohol and addiction are only referenced a few times in the novel, these issues play a major symbolic role in the Kane brothers’ lives. Seth was an alcoholic during their childhoods, and his rages and abuse began after he turned to alcohol to cope with the death of his wife. Cal has also stepped into alcohol abuse; he is known among the family for his drinking habits, and he alludes to Declan having sent him to a rehab facility at one point.

Declan’s chapters reveal his acute awareness of this family history. When he struggles with his feelings for Iris during their wedding, he escapes to the bar and knocks back a drink quickly. As soon as he does, though, he remembers, “Alcohol doesn’t solve anyone’s problems” (121). The uneasiness he feels afterward has “everything to do with the idea of using alcohol to cope” (122). He tells himself that he is not his father, but he also steps away from the bar “before [he does] something [he] will regret” (122). Declan enjoys a glass of whisky, and he drinks mimosas during Formula 1 races to honor his mom, but he retains a strict grasp on how much and why he drinks, terrified of doing anything that may reveal an inner abusiveness.