The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

Tom Byrnes is tall with dark hair “and a bony, lean face that only just missed being traditionally handsome because he’d clearly broken his nose at some point” (20). Tom is a white man in his early thirties and works as a carpenter. He also has an older brother named Richard, in whom he confides. Tom is Nina’s romantic interest, and brief moments in the narrative are occasionally depicted from his point of view in order to fuel the romantic subplot in which Nina learns to be brave and try new things. Tom is a steady person who describes himself as calm, if not boring. His friend Lisa recruits him for the trivia team because of his sports knowledge. Although he is not an avid reader, he doesn’t consider this to be a flaw. He is funny, kind, and quick-witted, and his strong attraction to Nina compels him to pursue a relationship with her. Despite their rocky start, the two eventually reconcile and engage in a romantic relationship.

As Nina’s mother, Candice plays a nurturing role for Nina despite her frequent absences from her daughter’s life. She remains “off-stage” throughout the novel and communicates with Nina by phone. Nina has fond memories of her mother, who often sent her funny postcards and books throughout her childhood, but she has always thought of her mother as a guest star in her life, unlike her nanny Louise, who had the recurring role. Candice is an accomplished news photographer but has never been married or seriously involved with a man; even her relationship with William was only a temporary affair. She spent a weekend with Nina’s father but severed ties once she learned that he was married. When Candice discovered that she was pregnant, she did not want William to be part of Nina’s life, so she made him sign an agreement not to contact her. Nina thinks of her mother as funny, admirable, and honest. She confides in her mother about her life, but when she wants moral support, she always calls Louise.

Lydia Reynolds is technically Nina’s niece, but she is older than Nina due to the age at which Nina’s father, William, married and had his first two children. Peter, Lydia’s cousin, whimsically describes her to Nina as a “fiend.” Lydia is combative, independent, and outspoken. She is therefore a foil to Nina, for although they share a love of trivia and cats and can be prickly around other people, Lydia represents a more extreme version of introverted behavior than Nina does, for Lydia actively dislikes and dismisses anyone who irritates her. (By contrast, Nina genuinely likes people and seeks out human connections despite her tendency to become overwhelmed in highly social situations.)

Lydia’s antagonism throughout much of the story provides a combative element that contrasts with the more positive relationships that Nina forges with other family members. Lydia therefore represents the dark side of this new arrangement, embodying Nina’s nagging fears that she won’t be liked or accepted into the Reynolds clan. However, upon seeing William’s letter—the signal that she and Nina are, in fact, connected as family—Lydia finally accepts Nina and starts to bond with her. Lydia even shifts to becoming a helpful influence in the last scenes, driving Nina to the bookstore and providing a reminder that Nina could end up just as withdrawn and bitter as Lydia herself has become if she doesn’t manage to repair her relationship with Tom.

Peter is a secondary character in the novel. He is Nina’s nephew, although he is a few years older than her. He is the first to welcome Nina into the Reynolds family, and his introduction prepares Nina to meet other family members. He is described as sophisticated and old-fashioned. Nina finds him “very tall and handsome” and describes him as “debonair” (58). He introduces himself as Nina’s “fabulous gay nephew” (59), and when Nina notices that his hair is the same color as hers, she starts to feel connected to him. Peter’s outgoing nature is a contrast that Nina appreciates, and when he reaches out to reassure her after Lydia’s show of hostility, his gesture persuades her to give the Reynolds family a chance despite the inevitable friction of certain interpersonal relationships.

Peter serves as an avuncular, mentoring figure who offers Nina the kind of guidance that she never got from her father. Nina feels comfortable with Peter and has no sense of her usual anxiety around new people. This also indicates that she is gradually opening up to new relationships. When Peter brings Nina to meet his mother, Becky, and his stepfather, John, Nina finally gets the chance to experience the kind of family interactions she always envied while observing others.

As Nina’s brother, Archie is another supporting character who broadens her world and encourages her to form new relationships. He is a handsome man with dark red hair, like Nina’s. When they first go for coffee, they order the same drink, and Nina is startled by the similarities between her and her brother. Although Archie comes across as abrupt and even rude during this first meeting, he also defends Nina against Lydia, and Nina soon realizes that she might enjoy having a brother.

With Nina’s appearance in his life, Archie struggles with the idea that he might, like his father, be prone to infidelity. He is happily married to Becca, who is pregnant with their second child, but his concerns about his genetic inheritance mirror Nina’s. Archie also admits to Nina that he experiences anxiety, which is another similarity that bonds them. Realizing that Archie and her father dealt with anxiety makes Nina regard her own anxiety as a tendency she can mitigate rather than a trait that is beyond her control. Archie accepts Nina into the family even though the news of William’s infidelity threatens the family myth that William loved his second wife, Rosie, and would have stayed with her if she had lived. Archie offers yet another new relationship that Nina feels comfortable with, aiding her character growth.