Recalling memories is the basis of the novel as Craig reminisces on his life. He writes the novel as an adult looking back on his childhood and the experiences he had in these crucial time periods of his life. Memories are like dreams to Craig, and often he wonders if the things he remembers are even real: “that memory is so dreamlike—too eery and beautiful to be real” (538). Craig’s memories occur in three stages: his childhood, his adolescence, and his young adulthood after moving away from home. The memories that Craig has as a child influence the decisions he makes as a teenager, and all of these memories culminate to influence him for the rest of his life. Each holds a special significance for Craig, and each contributes to the person that he becomes.

Craig does not have a happy childhood. Although his memories are interspersed with brief periods of joy, most are shrouded in trauma, darkness, and neglect. Craig is bullied by everyone around him: his peers, his school and church teachers, his parents, and himself. Craig has deeply rooted feelings of guilt over the choices he made regarding his brother as a child: “I was a pathetic older brother.