The Expats

“The essence of parenthood: immediate panic on the children’s behalf, always. This was the one part of the plan that Dexter never seriously considered: the compounded terror—the unconquerable anxiety—when there are children involved.”

This passage heightens the stakes as the novel’s protagonist, Kate Moore, thinks about the implications that her encounter with the mysterious woman might have on her children. Specifically, her discomfort and unease foreshadow danger, even if the encounter seems innocuous on the surface.

“Once Katherine had begun this lie, she knew she’d have to play along with it fully. That was the secret to maintaining lies: not trying to hide them. It had always been disturbingly easy to lie to her husband.”

This passage refers to Kate’s habit of lying, which she has developed over the course of her marriage. Specifically, Kate has chosen to hide anything that might reveal that she was once a globetrotting secret agent. What the passage points to, however, is the emotional effect that lying to her husband has on her, highlighting her surprise at its ease while also hinting at The Emotional Costs of Secrecy in a Marriage.

“This was, in fact, exactly what they’d dreamt: starting a new life abroad. They both felt like they’d missed out on important experiences, both encumbered by circumstances that were exclusive with carefree youth. Now in their late thirties, they still yearned for what they’d missed; still thought it was possible. Or never allowed that it was impossible.”

In this passage, Pavone establishes Kate’s motivation as a character. She is inclined to accept Dexter’s proposal to move to Luxembourg because it aligns with these motivations. However, the novel will eventually reveal that Kate is caught between an opposing motivation: her devotion to her work life. This generates the emotional and internal conflict of the novel.