The Great Unexpected

The slow erosion of Naomi’s belief that unexpected events are always bad is so central to her character and to the text that the origin of this belief provides the subject of the Prologue. She tells the tale Joe told so many times, of the donkey with ears that magically dispense helpful items to its impoverished owner, and she describes her fear that the man might pull out something terrible next. Naomi learns to anticipate tragedy rather than delight in possibility because so many unexpected events in her life and the lives of those close to her brought misfortune and heartbreak. A blood clot killed her mother unexpectedly the day after Naomi’s birth, prompting Naomi to feel that her mother is a stranger. Naomi’s father died after an unexpected dog attack and infection. Her guardian, Joe, dies unexpectedly of a heart attack when he’d shown no sign of illness. She learns that Nula was sent away from home at age 12 because her family “had nothing.” She knows Lizzie’s parents are dead, resulting in Lizzie’s lack of a permanent home and her dreams of being adopted. It is no wonder that the fear of the unexpected is so foundational to her character.