Out of the Woods

Sarah’s longtime partner and husband of over a decade, Caleb is serious, intellectually curious, and devoted to his family. At a young age, he is patient and open with Marcie, Win, and June, integrating himself seamlessly into their family. His love for Sarah includes embracing everyone she cares about. In the past timeline, young Caleb is forthright with his emotions, telling Sarah he loves her and proposing marriage when they are still in their late teens. He assures her, “I want to be the only man lucky enough to be loved by you” (198). When the present timeline begins, however, Caleb is more distant, consumed with his work in an echo of his own father’s prioritization of work over family.

Caleb’s confidence is shaken by Sarah’s desire to change their relationship dynamic. He has always been the strong protector, and his identity over the years has been shaped by that role. Sarah’s desire to be more independent evokes his fears that a change will destroy their relationship rather than make it stronger. Caleb is initially hesitant and dubious about the retreat, admitting that he fears Sarah will abandon him. However, throughout their challenges, Caleb’s love remains steadfast, to the point where he is willing to let her go, telling her via a journal entry, “[I]f your future peace means leaving, so be it” (177). Despite his fears, as they reconnect, he finds their relationship deeper, stronger, and more passionate. He is open about his sexual desires while assuring Sarah that he wants to connect emotionally with her on a new level. 

Caleb’s decision to prioritize connection spills over into his individual life as well, as he decides to downsize his company and engage in worker profit sharing so he and Sarah can have more time together. Caleb’s new confidence with Sarah allows him to change other aspects of his life, resolving Tension Between Personal Growth and Marital Stability by accepting change. In the Epilogue, Caleb has wholeheartedly embraced Sarah’s new path, demonstrating the full return of his confidence in their bond.

Sarah’s lifelong best friend who grew up in the same apartment, Win is a fitness and recreation expert opening a summer camp for children with disabilities. She has a two-year-old daughter with her husband Bo, who is Caleb’s best friend. Bo is a devoted spouse, and Sarah’s slight envy of their happiness and newer romance showcases the extent of her doubts about Caleb. 

Win is supportive, forthright, and emotionally open with those she loves. She tells Sarah to stop worrying about failing Marcie, both because it is an unrealistic fear and because “that won’t help you figure your shit out and it sure as hell won’t help save your marriage” (37). She also suggests Sarah stop comparing their husbands and trust that Caleb will attend Reignite with her because he supports her priorities and still loves her. Win serves as Sarah’s guide and mentor, offering perspective, advice, and solutions that help her take her relationship with Caleb to the next level.

Win is a steady and reliable presence in both Sarah and Caleb’s lives, having known both of them throughout their entire relationship. She is supportive but also offers tough love when it is needed. When Caleb is in the hospital, Win stays with Sarah and hears both her fears and hopes for the future, reinforcing that their childhood bond is unchanged by their new circumstances. Win, Bo, and their daughter August attend Sarah’s play in the Epilogue, underscoring that Sarah’s family of choice remains key to her successes.

Nina and Jai are a couple on the Reignite retreat. Sarah notices the tension between them immediately and learns Jai had attended the event before with his former fiancée, without ever telling Nina he had been engaged. Nina is a recent drama school graduate and ambitious actor, determined not to marry until her career is settled. Her relationship with Jai is relatively new. 

As a young woman who wants to delay marriage for the sake of her career, Nina acts as a foil for Sarah, who gave up her dreams for the security of marriage to Caleb after her mother’s death. As a result, Sarah feels self-conscious around her, seeing Nina’s path as one she could’ve taken. In addition, Nina and Jai’s relatively new relationship serves as a foil for Sarah and Caleb’s long history together. 

Nina also functions as a stand-in for Win on the retreat, showing Sarah that she is capable of forming new friendships in a challenging setting. She is sympathetic and supportive, telling her, “I can tell you and Caleb will be fine” (149). Jai is similarly supportive of Caleb, praising him for rescuing a fellow hiker from a bridge collapse. Nina appears in the Epilogue as the star of Sarah’s play, indicating that both have found renewed creative vision since the retreat and that their relationship is still strong.

Helen and her wife Yvonne are the retreat leaders with backgrounds in recreation, sports, and counseling. Helen is more practical and talkative, focused on therapy, while Yvonne focuses on meditation and spirituality. Helen pushes Sarah to consider the role that grief and regret play in her life, reminding her, “[W]e can find ourselves playing what if instead of recognizing what we can do now” (133). Sarah avoids Yvonne at first, anxious about more revelations, but comes to find her presence peaceful. Yvonne helps her see that Caleb is afraid of losing her and that her desire for change is a sign that she is seeking a fuller recovery from her traumas. The two women work together to address the needs of the retreat participants in a holistic way.

Libby is Helen and Yvonne’s granddaughter. She is 10 years old and recently lost her mother. At her grandmothers’ urging, Libby seeks Sarah out, hoping for advice on grief and loss. Sarah discovers that talking with Libby helps her “encapsulate perfectly the feelings I’ve spent my entire adult life wrestling with” (233). Libby’s role in the narrative involves both putting Sarah in the position of caregiver for a change and allowing Sarah to process and articulate her feelings about her mother’s death. Sarah finds herself feeling more capable and compassionate due to their conversations, adding more depth to the theme of The Power of Letting Go of Grief. In the Epilogue, Sarah notes that Libby, now in college, regularly dogsits for them. These characters illustrate how the marriage retreat expands Sarah and Caleb’s sense of family and community.