Strout revives Lucy Barton from her 2016 novel, My Name is Lucy Barton, to symbolize the one who got away from her hometown. Lucy surpassed the town’s expectations and left to pursue an independent life of relative literary fame and financial security. She represents a beacon of hope for many who’d like to free themselves of the limitations of their life in Amgash. However, Lucy is less confident in person than she appears in writing. Although she seeks to write what’s true, the distance she put between her and her family and their shared past influences her truth. When Lucy returns to Amgash after 17 years, she breaks down almost immediately, unable to directly confront her past. Lucy has figured out her own method of survival—and of processing her trauma. Writing frees her emotionally and financially, but it also builds a wall between her and her siblings. Although the public perception is that Lucy has liberated herself from the shame of her past, the reality is that she’s incapable of dealing directly with that shame.