The novel quickly introduces a cast of four central female characters, a narrative device that allows for the exploration of different life experiences and personal characteristics. A novel with a single female protagonist is more tightly confined whereas novels with an ensemble of female characters can show (as Strawser does) a widow, two married women, and one single woman, as well as a combination of mothers and non-mothers. This narrative structure, utilized in diverse texts ranging from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (1868) to Laine Moriarty’s Big Little Lies (2014) also allows for an exploration of the complex emotional bonds between women, showcasing elements of profound support and love alongside competition and friction over different life choices. The diverse perspectives provided by the ensemble cast are reflected in the narrative structure, which alternates between the points-of-view of three of the friends (but leaves Collins conspicuously silent). The withholding of Collins’s perspective until the Epilogue heightens suspense and provides a vivid illustration of her isolation.

The opening scene, in which the main characters struggle to reunite for a long-awaited birthday trip, reflects the challenges and complexities of each of their lives. Delayed flights, a last-minute cancellation, and a rental minivan that is a tangible reminder of Marie’s domestic responsibilities embody the complexity of midlife: The journey to turning 40, for each of the friends, has not gone smoothly. These disruptions foreshadow how the remainder of the narrative will likewise not unfold as planned: from their first attempts to reunite onwards, the friends will face setbacks, unexpected turns of fate, and things not going as planned. The minivan, a symbol of Marie’s domestic burdens, follows her on vacation, illustrating how the roles and responsibilities the women seek a reprieve from are not so easily shed. Collins’s arrival with a car full of alcohol likewise signals a desire to escape but also hints at a deeper need for self-medication and distraction from her grief. These early scenes demonstrate that while the friends seek a temporary break, the problems they face are systemic, woven into the fabric of their daily lives, and require more than a long weekend to resolve.

Nonetheless, the beachside weekend is a powerful inciting incident that sets in motion the plot events that will dominate the remainder of the novel. The opportunity to discuss their lives leaves each woman aware that she needs to make a change, highlighting the theme of Friendship and Collectivity as the Foundation of Individual Change. The setting near the ocean highlights imagery of rebirth and renewal associated with water: The women can imagine washing away the things that weigh them down and starting fresh. The retreat-like nature of a weekend in which they are free from the pressures of their domestic and professional lives also empowers them to reimagine what their futures could look like. 

After the friends go their separate ways, the action of the plot accelerates quickly. Each woman takes decisive steps to change her life, introducing the theme of Boundaries Providing Empowerment. While her students nickname her “Professor No,” Marie’s own life is initially a case study in her inability to apply her professional teachings to her personal relationships, particularly her marriage to Kyle. The disconnect between her academic authority and her domestic powerlessness is stark; she can lecture on reclaiming self-respect but feels trapped in an inequitable partnership where she shoulders most the family’s logistical and emotional labor. Her decision to move in with Collins is a bold and assertive step toward recentering her needs. Marie’s departure from a domestic space associated with her role as wife and mother reflects the first steps toward greater autonomy, evoking scenes such as Nora slamming the door at the end of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (1879).  

Brooke’s decision also reflects a critique of traditional domestic narratives that center marriage and parenthood. She realizes that she can have a full and happy life even without children. Her decision creates an opportunity for implicit contrast between her marriage and Marie’s. In stark contrast to Marie’s fraught dynamic with Kyle, Brooke’s conversation with her husband, Mitch, about ending their infertility treatments demonstrates a partnership grounded in mutual support and empathy. His readiness to support her decision reveals that he has been on the journey with her, not merely waiting for a specific outcome. This moment allows Brooke to shift from a mindset of loss to one of possibility, opening a conversation about what their future could look like without children. 

Lucy’s actions focus on her professional life rather than her personal one, but they also involve enacting boundaries: By enlisting Collins to change her passwords and lock her out of her own website, Lucy creates an external boundary she cannot cross, acknowledging that her own resolve is insufficient against years of ingrained hope and habit. Lucy’s rejection of a creative life reflects a pragmatic and grounded perspective, as well as real economic and cultural shifts that have made creative careers challenging in the 21st century. As with the other women, Lucy removes something from her life that no longer serves her, but she also builds something new. By going back to school, Lucy engages in reinvention and renewal. The introduction of Enzo as a potential love interest reflects how this change marks a fresh start and the opportunity for growth. 

Brooke, Lucy, and Marie all make sweeping changes in a state of optimism after the beachside weekend. Because of her grief and statis, Collins faces a more complex journey. Collins’s metaphor for her emotional state—being caught in a riptide—provides a powerful image for the passive nature of her suffering, reframing her inertia not as a personal failing but as a survival instinct. Her description of grief as a current that is safer to float in than to fight against highlights her deep sense of powerlessness since Sullivan’s death, connecting to the theme of Learning to Live with Grief. Lucy’s immediate response, “We’re your shore” (18), establishes the friends’ collective role as an anchor in the face of overwhelming loss. Nonetheless, while the others immediately activate and take steps forward, Collins is initially left floundering and unsure of what changes to make.