This Time Next Year

“Light shone into grimy corners, full of cigarette butts and discarded plastic glasses. A group of girls tottering about in high heels pushed into her and Minnie had to grab the railing to stay upright. ‘Happy birthday to me,’ Minnie said quietly to herself. Then she felt a warm, wet sensation as one of the girls vomited down her back.”

The description here focuses on dirt and refuse: Even revelers are a threat to personal safety and well-being. This quote introduces the reader to Minnie’s pessimism about her birthday, suggesting that it is well earned. This scene highlights the contrast between the beginning and end of the novel, where Minnie becomes one of the revelers herself.

“‘Yes, Quinn Hamilton.’ ‘Quinn Hamilton, born at Hampstead Hospital in 1990?’ ‘Yes,’ said Quinn, his brow furrowing in confusion. ‘You,’ Minnie said, clenching her teeth. ‘You stole my name.’”

The repetition here underlines that it is Quinn’s name that Minnie cares about more than anything else, revealing her family’s obsession with Tara and Quinn. Quinn, in contrast, is baffled by her interest in him, seeing himself as merely another individual, not a villain in a family drama. Minnie clenches her teeth, emphasizing her anger and betrayal—she calls Quinn a thief, impugning his morality, though he, of course, did not choose his own name at birth.

“And then the pain came and she curled instinctively into a ball. Connie felt her own starting. She took hold of Tara’s wrist and gently drew Tara’s face up toward hers. Tara started mewing, pained little mews like a cat being strangled. ‘That’s a cat; what did I say? Did I say cat, did I say sheep, or did I say hippo? You got to go lower, come on, copy me.’”

This scene emphasizes Tara’s vulnerability in contrast to Connie’s calm pragmatism. Tara hides from her contractions and is compared to a dying animal, unprepared for the task ahead of her. Connie urges her to embrace the pain and enter her body more fully. The animal metaphors take on new relevance later as a recurring motif: The reader learns that Tara adopts animals for Quinn’s birthday, and a visit to the zoo with Minnie is formative to their growing bond.