Evvie reaches a point at which she cannot endure Tim’s emotional abuse. What is the difference between an emotionally abusive relationship and spouses who just tend to argue and criticize a lot? Are there definitive signs or symptoms to indicate someone is emotionally abusive? Can a person be an emotional abuser without realizing the harm they are inflicting?

When Monica hears Evvie describe Tim’s behavior, she is the first to point out that Evvie is enduring emotional abuse. Does the novel suggest that people outside a relationship have the obligation to point out to people inside a relationship that they are being emotionally abused?

Dean suffers from “yips,” the sudden inability to pitch the baseball with the accuracy that made him a World Series winner. How does the novel compare Dean’s “yips” to Evvie’s emotional journey in the novel?