The Better Sister

Chloe is the novel’s 41-year-old protagonist, and much of the story is seen through her first-person perspective. Her discipline and drive are illustrated in her successful publishing career. Listed by Time magazine as “one of the top hundred most influential people” (216), she is the chief editor of Eve magazine. A woman “whose reputation is beyond measure” (161), she presents herself as the “better sister” of the novel’s title.

Chloe illustrates the challenges women face when balancing a demanding career and family responsibilities. At work, she feels the pressure of “twenty-five-year-olds nipping at her heels who’d steal her job the second she fell behind the digital trend” (240). At home, she attempts to manage the conflict between her husband and stepson, as well as Adam’s sense of emasculation arising from her professional success. While Eve promotes the message that women can have it all, Chloe’s personal life reveals the challenges of achieving this. Chloe’s power and sense of autonomy in the workplace are emphasized by the professional retention of her birth name, Chloe Anna Taylor. However, at home, as “Mrs. Adam Macintosh” (6), she navigates the competing needs of her husband and stepson.