Chapter One

On an unseasonably warm afternoon in late September, Del did something that she could not explain to herself and would not explain to others. In the months to come, when she considered the moment that changed everything, she would reach no conclusion as to why she did what she did. In the short term, it was stupid; but in the long term, it was nothing less than catastrophic.

The cleaning of South Elm started as it normally did. Del picked up the keys from the agency and checked the paperwork to see if there were any add-ons. Sometimes the owner wanted the fridge cleaned or the oven scoured. Other cleaners wouldn't do that sort of filthy work and tried to trade jobs, but Del didn't mind. She got paid fifteen dollars out of the agency's fifty-dollar fee for extras. On this occasion, a note indicated that she needed to change the sheets in the top-floor guest suite.

South Elm was fairly straightforward. She had cleaned it twice a week for more than a year without ever meeting ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Think about Del's reaction to finding out the house she now owned was going to be torn down. Why do you think this was a tipping point for her in the novel?
2. Throughout the novel, Del thinks of her mother a lot. What do you think the deconstruction of the house represents in relation to her memory of her mother?
3. Del discusses why she stuck to tearing apart the house she inherited. Thinking about this, why do you believe she chose to keep the house in the first place?
4. With Del's memories of her parents, there seems to be a running theme of escape. Thinking about your answer to the last question, do you think that tearing the house apart offers an escape? For whom?
5. Jeanne's life is unraveling at the same time Del's house deconstruction ...