How has Olivia's life has been affected by the loss of her sister Gabby in the storm?

How does it seem Olivia's life has been affected by the loss of her sister Gabby in the storm?

Olivia, like Kieran, bore the guilt of surviving a sibling. Not knowing how Gabby was lost added another dimension of grief to the tragedy. It also added a responsibility for caring for their mother, which caused Olivia to give up her life and return home. Gabby's loss changed Olivia's life forever. It defined her past and shaped her present. Knowing the truth will help her heal, but it won't change her loss or sense of responsibility given how it all happened. Ultimately, she had let her sister down through her own decisions.

Like Sean, Olivia also seems frozen in time, unable to move past the terrible events of that day. Instead of pursuing her education and career, she is working at The Surf and Turf and anxiously watching over her mother.

She's carrying a very heavy weight of guilt. And finally hearing what happened to Gabby is only going to increase that guilt knowing that she was with Kieran instead of being with her sister working on the birthday cake. I think her life will be harder going forward.

I didn't get the sense that Olivia lived with as much guilt about what happened to Gabby as Kieran did for Finn. Like Kieran, Olivia was able to leave Evelyn Bay for school and found an exciting job that she loved. I think this was very important in her healing. It seemed as if she was building a good future for herself. What affected her more was the fact that her mother was alone, and it became Olivia's responsibility to be her caregiver after the pill overdose. This meant she gave up the new life she was creating for herself- -instead of continuing to move forward after the tragedy, Olivia had to step back into the past. I'm certain she will experience a whole new range of feelings- -and will most likely need to begin the grieving process all over again - -now that the truth has come out. I think Olivia's past experience moving forward will be an important tool in her healing again.

I agree with acstrine that what most affected Olivia by the loss of her sister was having to care for her mother. This isn't to say Olivia was not otherwise affected by Gabby's death, but it seems she was able to live her own life. Sadly, I think this happens to many people, especially now with the pandemic. Anyone who has had to sacrifice some or all of their own happiness for a loved one can relate to Olivia.

I am agreeing with acstrine and melissa c. in my response to this question. Olivia was successful in making a fresh start for herself by leaving Evelyn Bay after the storm and the loss of her sister. She continued her education and found satisfying work. She was moving ahead with her life. When her mother most needed care she was forced to return and to confront the past once again. But the past she must now confront is a new one since the truth has been revealed. She was able to start a new life once and now that she and her mother both know the truth, most likely this will give her the strength to begin once again and perhaps by doing so closer to home.

I don’t think Olivia was overly affected by Gabby’s suspected drowning. She was intelligent and had made a happy life for herself but seemed willing to make the sacrifice to come back to Evelyn Bay to help her mother. I agree that once the truth about Gabby’s death came out Olivia and her mother will have to make some hard choices about what to do with the rest of their lives.

Ultimately, Gabby's death had a profound impact on Olivia's life. While she initially moved away to pursue her schooling and career, the thought of her mother being alone with her grief caused Olivia to return to Evelyn Bay. Perhaps finding out the truth about Gabby will allow Trish and Olivia to heal and both of them will be able to get on with their lives.

I agree that Olivia's life was overshadowed by her grief. Not knowing what happened to her sister made moving on more difficult. She could move away, but not escape the tragedy. Knowing that her mother struggled with the weight of her grief as well ultimately made it impossible to truly distance herself from her home and her memories. I don't think Olivia's (apparent) guilt over her part in the tragic deaths of Finn and Toby was explored as much as it could have been. We certainly come to understand the effect that living with the guilt over the tragedy has had on Kieran over the years, but because Olivia was never closely associated with the deaths of the two men, any guilt she felt over what else happened that day remains largely unspoken. It seems surprising that her role in the events of that day were never disclosed. Kieran obviously felt the need to protect her, given the tragic loss of her sister that followed. It is somewhat surprising that she and Kieran are never really given an opportunity to discuss their shared feelings of guilt over situation in the book.

Survivor's guilt in some situations. Survivor's anger in others. She was a less developed character for me.

Olivia tried to move forward after her sister’s disappearance by going to college and working at a job she enjoyed; however her mother’s inability to cope with her sister’s disappearance led Olivia to move back to town. I think it’s perhaps more interesting to reflect on how the parent/parents of Olivia and Kieran chose to react and relate to their surviving children after the lost of one child.

Olivia is haunted by the death of her sister Gabby, as all remaining sibling usually are. In addition Olivia was faced with her mothers reaction to the loss of a child. With the disappearance of Gabby it left a gaping hole - no answers to ease the mind, even tough she tried by leaving and going to college and finding a job she loved - until called back to tend to her mother.