Two years before the novel begins, Lisa’s mother was killed in a car accident. A month later, Lisa’s father committed suicide. Then, Lisa’s youngest brother died in his sleep, and her other two younger brothers died attempting to drive across a flooded road. Lisa and Noah refer to that year in their life as the Dark Star. Lisa explains, “You know what an eclipse is, when a shadow blocks out the sun? That year was like an eclipse that erased our entire family” (54). Because of her family’s tragedy, Lisa is a local celebrity in Thief River Falls and the surrounding area: “It wasn’t just because of her books. People knew her because of the Dark Star, too. She was a local celebrity stalked by tragedy” (77). In addition to representing the year that took away Lisa’s family members, the Dark Star represents Lisa’s ongoing grief due to these tragedies. Because of the Dark Star, Noah leaves Lisa for Fargo, unable to handle the grief. Lisa and Noah also can’t bring themselves to do anything with their childhood home: “In the aftermath of the Dark Star that had stolen away their whole family, they’d never taken the time to sell it or rent it.