46 pages • 1 hour read
Lorna LandvikA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Faith is one of the protagonists of the novel. She is the most frequent point-of-view character, and writes letters to her mother that append several chapters. Faith grew up in the small town of Trilby, Mississippi, and went to school at the University of Texas. She has a talent for interior design and is known among the Angry Housewives for having themed decorations and food that complements the book when hosting the monthly book club.
Faith is deeply scarred by her childhood experiences. Her letters illustrate her character arc from remorse to joy. Faith remembers some fun times with her mother, but more often she recalls Primrose saying that Faith tied her down. Faith resents her mother for these remarks but, for most of the book, she feels guilty that she caused her mother’s death. She keeps her past a secret from her husband and friends, ashamed of what they would think if they knew she grew up poor, that she never knew who her father was, and that her mother was an alcoholic with a variety of disappointing boyfriends.
In part because of her secret about feeling responsible for her mother’s death, Faith can be tough and unforgiving. She is the one who feels she must be vigilant when a friend is in danger; she is the one who gets Wade’s gun when Eric is attacking Merit.