Terese Marie Mailhot is the narrator and author of this collection of essays. Though not a coming of age story in the traditional sense, Mailhot experiences a similar character arc as she receives a medical diagnosis, earns an education, and learns how to have healthier relationships with her loved ones.

In the beginning of the narrative, Mailhot is tumultuous and full of self-doubt. She desires love but is abandoned by her lover in the wake of suicidal ideation and bipolar episodes. She gives up all her agency in order to love a White man, Casey, which results in a crisis of identity that leads her to be institutionalized. In the hospital, Mailhot receives a diagnosis of PTSD and bipolar disease, which marks the beginning of a journey toward increased self-awareness.

Mailhot’s voyage toward acceptance is a long one, and it’s not linear. She reflects on this in “Better Parts,” as she graduates with an MFA and is finally welcomed into the academic circle as an Indian woman. Education leads to her self-discovery. When her mental illness is given a name, she develops a greater level of self-awareness and accepts that her previous pain is part of her life journey.