Great Big Beautiful Life

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical illness and death.

The novel’s protagonist and point-of-view character, Alice Scott, is a journalist who has unwavering optimism and determination to succeed in the literary world. When she has the chance to write Margaret Ives’ biography, she views it as a defining moment. Relocating to Little Crescent Island, she puts her life in Los Angeles on hold to pursue her dream job. Everything changes when she learns she’s competing with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Hayden Anderson. They can’t avoid each other living on a small island, and their relationship quickly evolves from professional antagonism to romance. Alice’s identity ties closely to her work, and writing Margaret’s story symbolizes professional validation and a means to prove her worth, especially since she feels that she always falls short of her mother’s expectations. Her ambitions are tested by Margaret’s secrets and by her growing connection to Hayden, who refuses to commit until the competition ends.

Alice’s assignment to profile Margaret pulls her into a deeper confrontation with her identity and familial tension. Fueled by a personal sense of responsibility to document the truth, Alice isn’t entirely sure why Margaret chose her but asserts, “There has to be a reason I’m here” (142).