Penitence

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child death, substance use, addiction, illness, mental illness, death, and child abuse.

Angie Sheehan is a complex, round character. She is characterized by her experiences in adolescence, in early adulthood, during motherhood, and in the wake of Nico’s death. The way that Angie changes over time illustrates the maturation process: The kinds of mistakes she makes as a teenager do not define who she becomes as an adult. Angie is an accomplished skier and artist, but like Julian, she also has a wild side. She decides to procure alcohol and marijuana on the day that leads, in part, to her sister’s death: She is high when she was supposed to be supervising Diana, and she also drinks so much vodka so quickly that she has to stop skiing to vomit, leaving Diana to begin her descent down the mountain alone. While this moment of irresponsibility is not without consequence, Angie does feel terrible about the accident and does not continue to misuse drugs and alcohol or make bad choices. As a college student and woman in her twenties, Angie has become focused and grounded.