Hollow Bones

Molly is the novel’s protagonist and a dynamic, round character whose life is proof of the theme of Transformation as the Key to Survival. Raised believing that her mother, Eloise, was a heroic victim of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Molly constructs her entire identity around this tragedy. This foundational belief propels her into a career in emergency preparedness, a field where she meticulously plans for disasters in an effort to control the kind of chaos that defined her family’s story. Highly competent, rational, and driven, Molly excels professionally, but her personal life is marked by an emotional guardedness born from a loss she has carried since infancy. The red ribbon that she weaves into her hair daily is a conscious tribute to the mother she never knew, honoring a connection she feels but can’t fully comprehend.

The unexpected return of her mother shatters Molly’s carefully constructed identity, forcing her to confront a reality more complex and painful than the heroic narrative she was given. Her initial reaction is a deep sense of betrayal directed not only at her mother for abandoning her but also at her father and stepmother for their complicity in