Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses death and pregnancy loss.

Theresa is a 36-year-old journalist from Boston, Massachusetts, and she is the novel’s protagonist. She is a dynamic character, one who undergoes a fundamental change in outlook throughout the novel. Initially, she isn’t sure the kind of love she wants actually exists anymore, especially because she feels so betrayed by her husband, David, whom she loved very much: “She still dreamed about falling in love with someone, of having someone take her in his arms and make her feel she was the only one who mattered. But it was hard, if not impossible, to meet someone decent these days” (18). After her marriage to David and her romantic history in general, Theresa has a hard time believing true love still exists. By the end of the text, though, her experiences with Garrett have taught her that true and lasting love is possible and that she can find it. In her final message to Garrett, after his death, she writes, “Because you were able to fall in love with me, you have given me hope […]. You taught me that it’s possible to move forward in life, no matter how terrible your grief” (369).