Hello Stranger: A Novel

Sadie wakes up in the hospital, and her stepmother, Lucinda, whom she dislikes, is there. Though Sadie remembers nothing, Lucinda explains that she had a nonconvulsive seizure in the middle of the crosswalk and was nearly hit by a car. A “Good Samaritan” saved her life by pushing her onto the sidewalk just in time. Before losing consciousness, Sadie shouted for her dad by name, and since he’s a famous heart surgeon, people took her to the hospital. Lucinda Facetimes her daughter, Parker, who obnoxiously chides Sadie for nearly being hit by a Volkswagen instead of a luxury car. Sadie is worried about her mom’s dress, but Lucinda says it was covered in red wine, and she told the hospital staff to throw it away. Sadie cries and begs her nurse to retrieve the dress, but all the trash goes to the incinerator.

The next day, Sadie meets with a brain surgeon, Dr. Estrera, who explains that she has a cavernoma, or “malformed blood vessel in the brain” (20), which is leaking. While the condition isn’t immediately life-threatening, he encourages Sadie to have brain surgery soon to remove it. Sadie only has six weeks to complete her portrait, so she explains the contest to the doctor and says she must put off the surgery until afterward.

Sadie takes an Uber home to her “rooftop shack,” the loft-like space Sue’s father created for her in his building. Returning home reminds Sadie of her breakup with Ezra and her mother’s death. She has portrait projects that she needs to complete, but the cavernoma diagnosis is distracting. For comfort, she snuggles with her dog Peanut, a gift for her 14th birthday, the same year her mother died from a stroke. Sadie says she and Peanut have been together ever since, “Except for the two-year period when I was sent away. But Peanut and I didn’t talk about that” (26). Sadie’s father calls to say he’s returned from his trip early and is waiting for her downstairs.

On the elevator ride, Sadie overhears a man in a bowling jacket talking over the phone about his one-night stand. He is derogatory toward the woman he slept with, saying awful things about her body and bragging about videoing her snoring. His behavior disgusts Sadie, and she can’t wait to exit the elevator. Her father’s tone is urgent, and he says she must have the surgery immediately. She explains about her contest, but he reiterates the seriousness of the condition. He reveals that Sadie’s mother died from a stroke related to a cavernoma. It’s a hereditary condition, and he’s scheduled her surgery for Wednesday. Sadie demands to know why her mother delayed the surgery, but her father says he will tell her everything when she has her surgery.

The day of surgery arrives, and Sadie is so nervous that the nurses struggle to find a vein for her IV. When she meets her neuropsychologist, Dr. Nicole Thomas-Ramparsad, Sadie calms down, and “Dr. Nicole” makes her feel at ease about the surgery. Sadie’s father scrubs in for the surgery, and she notes it’s the most time they’ve spent together in years. Though the surgery sounds intense, as the surgeon must drill into Sadie’s skull, everything goes according to plan, and she spends the next few days recovering in the hospital.

The day before her discharge, a stranger visits Sadie’s room. The stranger talks like Sue and even says things about Peanut and Sue’s partner, Witt, but Sadie doesn’t recognize her face. Sadie compares her face to a puzzle where “[…] the pieces didn’t fit together right. They didn’t make a face. It was a bit like looking at a Picasso painting” (40). The more the person speaks in Sue’s voice, the more confused Sadie becomes, and she calls for the nurse. MRI imaging reveals swelling in Sadie’s brain near the location of the cavernoma, which is also near the fusiform face gyrus, or the part of the brain that identifies faces. Dr. Estrera says that once the swelling abates, Sadie should recover, but he gives no guarantees. Sadie angrily explains that she is a portrait artist and that face recognition is necessary for her job. Dr. Nicole calms her and promises to help her cope with the problem.

Dr. Nicole administers face recognition tests to determine the severity of Sadie’s condition. As famous faces pass across the screen, Sadie doesn’t recognize them. Worse, when she looks in the mirror, she can’t make sense of her face, which causes her to experience a profound sense of loneliness. Sadie knows she is more than her face, but the trauma of her situation triggers her grief over losing her mother. Sadie worries that she won’t recognize Peanut, but Dr. Nicole explains that studies about the disorder’s effect on seeing animal faces are inconclusive. Sadie is overcome with fear, and Dr. Nicole gently assures her that she can and will prevail if she focuses on optimism instead of negativity. Dr. Nicole officially diagnoses Sadie with prosopagnosia, or face blindness.

While walking back into her apartment, Sadie spies the man she overheard in the elevator talking about his one-night stand. She nicknames him “The Weasel,” though she doesn’t recognize his face; he’s wearing the same bowling jacket embroidered with “Joe” and glasses. “The Weasel” races to share the elevator, and Sadie thinks about the nameless woman he had disparaged and wishes she could find her. He comments about Sadie looking well and asks about her health, which perplexes her. He then says he lives below her and would love to see the loft apartment one day. Sadie angrily pokes his embroidered name, saying he will never enter her apartment. Though she can’t recognize faces, Sadie can still see emotion and knows she has shocked The Weasel.

Lucinda is in Sadie’s apartment when she returns home. Despite Lucinda being kind, Sadie doesn’t want her help and asks her to leave. Sadie’s living conditions shock Lucinda, and she offers the credit card, claiming that her father never checks the finances. Sadie refuses, but after Lucinda leaves, she sees she left the credit card. Sadie researches face blindness and learns that around 160 million people have the condition. Some are born with it, and some develop it after surgery or a brain injury. She learns coping skills for dealing with the social awkwardness of only seeing strangers but still feels scared to go out in public. Feeling sad and alone, Sadie uses the credit card to purchase comfort items like a new tea kettle and footed pajamas and doesn’t leave her apartment for three days.

Finally, Sadie overcomes her fear and collects Peanut from the kennel. She is overcome with joy when she recognizes his face. As she snuggles Peanut and sobs, she notices a handsome vet watching her. Even though his face is a jumble, she can tell by his posture and slick hair that he is attractive She remarks, “It was love at first sight—and I couldn’t even see him” (66). The receptionist says the vet, Dr. Oliver Addison, is new, and even though Peanut recently had a checkup, Sadie schedules an appointment with Dr. Addison. On the way home, she fantasizes about their romance and how her name would go with his. She hears someone call her name but can’t recognize the face. Sadie uses the tips she learned online, but they don’t work. Sadie realizes it’s Parker playing a prank.

Sadie receives an email from the North American Portrait Society with the contest rules. Not only does she have a chance at winning a life-changing prize, but the portraits will be sold at a silent auction, giving her the chance to be a successful artist. Sadie only has three weeks to complete her submission but doesn’t know how to complete the task with face blindness. Sadie’s work is realistic and claims, “Faces were my specialty” (74). She learned the technique from her mom. With Sue working as her model, Sadie works to get the other details just right, focusing on Sue’s striking polka dot dress. When all that’s left is the face, Sadie uses a technique she learned online by working in a four-quadrant grid to create a face. Sadie has no way to discern its success. Sue tries to be encouraging but calls the face “funky” and “ghoulish,” attributes Sadie knows won’t win her the contest. Sue remains optimistic, but Sadie burns with anger and frustration.

After missing several appointments, Sadie finally visits Dr. Nicole for a therapy session. During the session, she shares her fear of leaving the house and frustration over the contest. Dr. Nicole wonders why Sadie is putting so much pressure on herself to win, and Sadie explains that she wants to prove that she can be successful. Dr. Nicole is interested in Sadie’s desire to “prove” her worth to others and encourages her to think about what she wants from a career as an artist. Sadie wants to be financially stable and appreciated and admired for her talent. Dr. Nicole wants Sadie to be less cerebral in her decision-making and listen to her heart instead. Sadie doesn’t want to share with people about her face blindness, but Dr. Nicole encourages her to be honest with others so they can empathize. It’s unhealthy for Sadie to try forcing others to think she is okay when struggling. Sadie argues that people aren’t inherently benevolent. Still, Dr. Nicole disagrees, citing the “Good Samaritan” who saved Sadie’s life.