The Elements: A Novel

As Vanessa explores the island, the townspeople question why she came to the island. She meets Ifechi, the local Catholic priest, from Nigeria. He invites her to his church, but she refuses, saying that though her family often attended services, she is not religious. Brendan was the one that made them go, before the scandal. Later that night, as she sits in bed, Vanessa thinks about God, and how her life falls apart, wondering if her life could get worse.

An older woman storms into the cottage as Vanessa reads, yelling at Vanessa to stop feeding Bananas, pointing to the cat. She explains that there was a young gay couple in the cottage before Vanessa, and that they used to feed Bananas. The woman introduces herself as Vanessa’s neighbor, Mrs. Duggan, and sits down without an invitation, demanding tea.

Mrs. Duggan explains that she and other townspeople ran the gay couple out of town, just as they had once done to a divorcee. Vanessa is appalled at the woman’s homophobia. Mrs. Duggan reveals that though she has eight children, only one is left on the island. His name is Luke, and he is the youngest, who stayed behind to tend their farm.

Vanessa is from a generation of Irish women who followed the more traditional path of marriage and child-rearing. When she married Brendan, he was older, already in his thirties. He was a virgin, and seemingly hated women, his desire for them, and Vanessa’s previous relationships with men.

They tried to have a baby right away, but they could not conceive. When a doctor requested Brendan’s sperm count, he accused Vanessa of having an abortion and that being the reason they could not conceive. He eventually relented, and they learned that they were merely unlucky. Eventually, Vanessa gave birth to Emma, a sweet-tempered baby. Brendan did not care for her, having wanted a son.

When Vanessa gave birth to Rebecca two years later, she struggled. Rebecca was difficult, and only Emma truly connected with her. Rebecca mourns Emma’s passing, as she died young. Vanessa blames herself, believing she failed as a mother.

Vanessa goes to Ifechi’s church, and witnesses the owner of one of the island’s two pubs smashing his fist into his leg. Aside from him, there is a boy waiting for confession. She walks around, looking at the stations of the cross, and thinks of how selfish and horrible the men surrounding Jesus were, and how it was really the women who supported him.

She remembers Brendan’s trial, and how the blame kept returning to women. At first, it was his secretary that enabled him, and then people blamed Vanessa for not stopping his abuse, even though she knew nothing of it.

Ifechi sits with Vanessa as the boy runs out of the church. Vanessa asks about him and the pub owner, but Ifechi refuses to elaborate. Ifechi invites Vanessa back, saying she can trust in the Lord, but she tells him that she will never trust a man again.

Vanessa wakes up in the middle of the night to sounds on her roof. She messages Rebecca, who has unblocked her, though it is too late for Rebecca to see it. When Vanessa opens the door, Bananas rushes in. Now awake, Vanessa decides to walk the beach.

She remembers how she did not cry when she and Brendan identified Emma’s body after she was pulled from the water near Wexford. When she reaches the water, Vanessa walks in, fully clothed. She stays under the waves, thinking of the role water played in destroying her family. She wonders what Emma thought of as she swam so far out to sea that night she knew she could not get back.

When Vanessa emerges, she sees Luke Duggan looking on from the distance. She strips and walks naked back to the cottage, asserting independence over her life and body.

A few days later, Luke visits Vanessa to apologize for seeing her naked that night. Vanessa feels she can trust him and is attracted to him. He is 24, and when Vanessa tries to pry information about the pub owner from him, he hints at the man being troubled but refuses to say more. When he makes to leave, Vanessa walks to her bedroom, and Luke follows.

Vanessa’s life before the island was busy. She led a robust social life while Brendan spent the majority of his time at the National Swimming Federation, staying late and wandering around the house when he came home. One morning, Emma asked for a lock for her door, saying that Brendan always woke her up when he returned home. Vanessa refused.

Not long after, Brendan announced he was taking a sabbatical from his job, proclaiming he needed a break. Vanessa did not pry, and they told the girls that it would be a vacation. A week later, Vanessa ran into the wife of one of Brendan’s coworkers. The wife mentioned some rumors about inappropriate behavior swirling around Brendan and said that women who did not stop men are worse than the men themselves. Vanessa ignored this comment too.

Brendan took the family on a holiday to Wexford. While there, he received a phone call that Vanessa noticed put him in a strange mood. He announced that he was ready to return to work and suggested they leave for Dublin early.

The next morning, Rebecca woke Vanessa and Brendan saying that Emma was not in her bed. As they left to look for her, the police arrived, and Vanessa immediately understood that something tragic had happened. Now, Vanessa wishes she had asked more questions and not ignored the evidence that was in front of her.

Vanessa reads in the older of the two pubs. Tim Devlin, the newer pub owner, comes in and sits with her. He buys them drinks, and as they chat, he reveals that his wife died. He also admits that he knows who Vanessa is, but promises that he will not tell anyone.

When Tim asks if Vanessa is worried about what other prisoners may do to Brendan, she admits that she is. Though she hates him, he is a part of her life. They keep drinking, and Vanessa asks if Tim was in prison himself. He was, having killed his wife while drunk driving; when he woke up, he was handcuffed to his hospital bed.

Vanessa asks Tim what that was like, and he tells her that he felt like he was still just a teenage boy. He cheated on his wife, stole, and abused another woman. Tim tells Vanessa that the first thing he thought of when he woke up was of how he would be a better person after prison. Vanessa realizes that Tim is looking for empathy from her, but she refuses. She admonishes him for refusing to take any responsibility for his actions, condemning him for only thinking of himself and his future instead of his wife.

Vanessa sees a crowd forming on the beach and joins Mrs. Duggan, asking what happened. Evan Keogh, a teenager, took a boat to Galway and has not returned, stirring up a panic that he drowned. Luke, his friends, and Evan’s father are out searching for him.

Vanessa sits with Mrs. Keogh. Mrs. Keogh is not from the island and admits that she met Charlie when she was young and followed him to the island. Later, he refuses to let her leave. Charlie wants Evan to be a football player, but Evan wants to be a painter. He has the talent for football but not painting. When Vanessa hints that Evan ran from Charlie’s control, Mrs. Keogh agrees.

The boat returns with Evan. Once on the beach, he shakes off hugs and runs up the beach, away from the crowd. His eye is bruised, likely from his father. Vanessa recognizes him he as the boy from the church.

There is an upcoming election, and Jack Sharkey, minister for sport and tourism, visits the church to speak and garner support. Vanessa attends, but the sight of him horrifies her. Jack Sharkey helped appoint Brendan to his post, and he knows who Vanessa is.

After his speech, Jack takes questions. A young woman asks him about his involvement in appointing Brendan, and Jack defends himself, acting as the victim and doubling down on his previous comments that Brendan was the right person for the job.

He and Vanessa lock eyes, and she realizes that he recognizes her. She silently begs him not to reveal her. He announces that if reelected, he will ensure that no one like Brendan, or his enablers, will ever get away with those crimes again. As she walks out, Vanessa feels his judgement.

When Brendan was arrested at their home for abusing a minor, Brendan pled with a shocked Vanessa, saying that he was innocent.

Vanessa waited for hours at the local station until the police officer came out and said that they would hold Brendan overnight. Vanessa insisted that the accusations were not true, but the officer seemed to take pleasure in assuring Vanessa that they likely were. Vanessa felt for the first of many times the gaze of someone blaming her.

When Vanessa arrived home, Rebecca was waiting. She demanded to know if Vanessa knew. Vanessa denied any knowledge and yelled at Rebecca when Rebecca asked if Brendan abused Emma as well. Rebecca caught Vanessa as she began to collapse, yelling at her daughter for suggesting such a thing.

A storm ravages the island, forcing Vanessa inside. She receives a phone call from an unknown number, and when she picks up, realizes that it is Brendan calling from prison. Even now, he still insists that he is innocent, blaming everyone but himself for his misfortune and hard life in prison. She refuses to let him lie, calmly telling him that he is, in fact, a rapist. Vanessa even accuses him of violating Emma, and Vanessa blames herself, saying she should have listened to Emma. Afterward, she texts Rebecca, saying that Brendan called. Rebecca responds only to say that Brendan is no longer her father. Needing emotional release, Vanessa walks out into the storm and screams into the wind.

Rebecca visits Vanessa. Vanessa explains why she escaped to the island, and when Rebecca asks about their house in Dublin, Vanessa suggests they sell it and split the money. Rebecca suggests they donate a third to an organization that helps victims of abuse.

Rebecca asks Vanessa if she knew what Brendan did to Emma, and Vanessa admits that she did not, though she harbors guilt for not realizing why Emma was asking for a lock. Rebecca then reveals that Emma told her everything the night before she died, but that Rebecca did not believe her and kicked her out of their room.

Rebecca then shaves her head to match Vanessa’s and reveals that she too changed her name to Hale. They hug, and Vanessa feels as though Emma is with them, and that they are at the beginning of their journey to heal.

Vanessa leaves the island, ready to resume her life. She takes a small ferry, and Ifechi is there to see her off. She tells him that she will not return. As she boards, Evan Keogh and his mother come running, and his mother insists that Evan is going with them. She hugs him, gives him money, and tells Evan to not look back.

On their journey to Galway, Evan reveals that he is going to England though he will not pursue football. He is excited to start his life. Vanessa feels ready to start over as well. She decides that the first half of her life is over, and now begins the second half.