Alone with You in the Ether: A Love Story

Both Regan and Aldo wrestle with mental health and with accepting that their neurological differences will be with them for their entire lives. The novel doesn’t name either Aldo or Regan’s condition, which adds relatability to what they experience and doesn’t box them into a label or particular prejudgment. The court ordered Regan to see a psychiatrist after she was caught counterfeiting money despite having no need for it or any other real reason for doing so. She takes lithium to stabilize her moods but feels like it makes her numb and takes away part of her personality: “Without the volatility of her extremes, what was she?” (116). Regan’s life is disorganized and somewhat chaotic; she’s “rarely the same version twice” (149) and is unpredictable even to Aldo, who can calculate almost anything. As the story begins, she’s in an unhealthy relationship with Marc, who often accuses her of being stuck in a pattern of behavior. Regan despises the idea of boredom or nothingness, and she tries to fill every moment with intensity and meaning. Regan’s relationship with her family is dysfunctional, and she usually avoids them, largely because they’re highly critical of her and don’t offer her the empathy and emotional support she needs.