We Are All Guilty Here

Emmy Clifton is the protagonist of the novel. She lives in North Falls, Georgia, and is married to Jonah Lang at the start of the novel. She and Jonah have a son named Cole and met in middle school. For some time, Emmy “really believ[ed] her loser husband was going to be a famous musician one day” even though “everybody knew he spent most of his time smoking weed on their couch in the house Emmy paid for” (7). Emmy stays with Jonah for years, unable to extricate herself from their toxic relationship. 

Throughout the novel’s early chapters, Emmy’s life is rife with marital tension. She feels stuck in her marriage and constantly frustrated with Jonah’s unwillingness to help care for their young son or to take responsibility for himself. Despite his laziness and carelessness, Emmy is terrified of breaking free of this dynamic. Her best friend Hannah and her mother Myrna Clifton are the only people who are forthcoming about this relationship and Emmy’s need to prioritize her happiness over her reputation. Her behavior in her marital life conveys Emmy’s fear of displeasing others or disappointing the community’s expectations of her.