This is not exactly a happy novel, but it is rather cathartic and insightful. The plot structure revolves around the ways in which Pearl and Beck's divorce shapes the lives of their children. For instance, the competition between Cody and Ezra is complicated by the divorce because Cody has become skilled in obtaining sexual partners, but he struggles to feel that he earns the trust or adoration of a woman. Ezra on the other hand connects very deeply with anyone he talks to, but underneath this dynamic is the divorce and the way it influences each son.
The daughter is also given over to intimacy issues and broken relationships. We learn that she is in her third marriage before she finally feels connected to someone emotionally. What is her career for her? It is simultaneously an automatic identity and a crutch, because she uses hard work to distract her from chronic emotional pain that should be addressed. Her divorces are evidence that she is not emotionally confident yet or well.
In a way, Ruth's struggle to settle into a marriage has elements in common with both of her brothers. She obtains spouses well because she is intimate like Ezra, but like Cody, she struggles to connect. This is the proof that Cody needs, because he thinks there is something wrong with him. There is nothing "wrong" with these three young adults! Rather, the internal questions about their self-worth leave them shy and hesitant and that has profound effects on their romantic relationships. In other words, the father deciding they were not good enough for him to stay (that is what abandonment feels like) leaves them with warps opinions on their selves.
