Search Jump: Comments
    Chapter Index
    Back to Story
    Cover of The Book of Love
    FantasyFictionLiterary

    The Book of Love

    by Link, Kelly
    Set in the coastal town of Lovesend, Massachusetts, Kelly Link’s “The Book of Love” follows three teenagers who mysteriously return from the dead. They must navigate magical challenges to secure their continued existence. The novel explores themes of love in its many forms—romantic, familial, and platonic—alongside grief, identity, and resilience, blending magical realism with coming-of-age drama.
    Next
    The Book of Love

    The Book of Susannah 1

    by Link, Kelly

    The chap­ter opens with Susan­nah wak­ing up in her sis­ter Laura’s bed, a place she feels she shouldn’t be. The absence of Lau­ra, who has been gone for eleven months, looms heav­i­ly over Susannah’s thoughts. She wres­tles with rest­less dreams that fail to bring com­fort or reunion with those she longs for. The dis­ar­ray of the room and the miss­ing pres­ence of their moth­er, Ruth, who works in a demand­ing NICU envi­ron­ment, ampli­fy Susannah’s sense of iso­la­tion and uncer­tain­ty. The moon­light becomes her only con­fi­dant as she voic­es her frus­tra­tion with the dark­ness and soli­tude envelop­ing her life.

    Susannah’s reflec­tions reveal a deep yearn­ing for nor­mal­cy and the restora­tion of what has been lost. She attempts to impose order by metic­u­lous­ly arrang­ing Laura’s belong­ings, hop­ing that plac­ing each item “exact­ly where it ought to be” might some­how mend the frac­tured real­i­ty. The chap­ter high­lights the con­trast between the roman­ti­cized ideals found in Laura’s nov­els and Susannah’s prag­mat­ic, even cyn­i­cal, view of life’s demands. While Laura’s world was filled with love and fan­ta­sy, Susan­nah con­fronts the harsh­er truths of grow­ing up and the pres­sure to find a mean­ing­ful place in the world, despite her resis­tance to con­ven­tion­al paths like col­lege.

    The nar­ra­tive delves into Laura’s char­ac­ter through the rem­nants she left behind—her gui­tar, clothes, and per­son­al treasures—each sym­bol­iz­ing a con­nec­tion to the sis­ter Susan­nah des­per­ate­ly miss­es. Susannah’s inter­ac­tions with these objects are tinged with a mix of rev­er­ence, long­ing, and rebel­lion. She imag­ines con­ver­sa­tions with Lau­ra, bor­row­ing her clothes and pos­ses­sions in an attempt to inhab­it a shared space that now feels painful­ly emp­ty. The jadeite mug filled with gui­tar picks and for­tunes serves as a poignant sym­bol of hope, irony, and the elu­sive promis­es of change and beau­ty.

    In a moment of intense emo­tion, Susannah’s frus­tra­tion cul­mi­nates in the destruc­tion of Laura’s cher­ished gui­tar, an act that embod­ies her strug­gle to cope with loss and the impos­si­bil­i­ty of restor­ing the past. This act of break­ing the gui­tar also sym­bol­izes her break­ing point—caught between hold­ing on to mem­o­ries and the need to move for­ward alone. The chap­ter clos­es on this raw, tur­bu­lent note, empha­siz­ing Susannah’s soli­tary jour­ney through grief, iden­ti­ty, and the search for mean­ing in a changed and uncer­tain world.

    Down­load PDF Sum­ma­ry

    FAQs

    • 1. How does Susannah’s relationship with her sister Laura influence her actions and emotions in this chapter?

      Answer:
      Susannah’s relationship with Laura is central to her emotional state and behavior throughout the chapter. Laura’s absence leaves a profound void; Susannah wakes up in Laura’s bed, feeling dislocated and alone, highlighting her longing for her sister’s presence. She attempts to maintain Laura’s world by tidying up Laura’s belongings exactly as they were, reflecting a desire to restore order and perhaps bring Laura back. Susannah’s actions, such as borrowing Laura’s clothes and handling her guitar, symbolize her attempt to connect with Laura’s identity and fill the gap left by her sister. The emotional weight of Laura’s absence manifests in Susannah’s frustration and despair, culminating in the violent destruction of the guitar, expressing her deep pain and helplessness.

      2. What role do the objects in Laura’s room (e.g., guitar, stuffed animals, romance novels) play in understanding Susannah’s feelings and the chapter’s themes?

      Answer:
      The objects in Laura’s room serve as tangible connections to Laura and represent Susannah’s memories, grief, and longing. The stuffed animals, such as the sky-blue owl and the secret-named dog, evoke childhood innocence and secrecy, highlighting what Susannah feels she has lost. Laura’s romance novels, meticulously arranged and described with wistful humor, symbolize idealized love and emotional escape, contrasting with Susannah’s harsher reality. The guitar, an instrument Laura “made talk,” embodies her sister’s voice and feelings; Susannah’s destruction of it reveals her frustration and inability to cope with absence and silence. Collectively, these objects underscore themes of loss, memory, and the struggle to reclaim or hold onto the past.

      Answer:
      The chapter employs imagery of light and darkness to mirror Susannah’s emotional turmoil and isolation. She wakes in the middle of the night, a time traditionally associated with uncertainty and fear, emphasizing her feeling of being “alone in the dark.” The full moon outside the window symbolizes a distant, unchanging presence—something constant yet unreachable—paralleling Susannah’s hope and despair regarding Laura’s return. The ultraviolet light in the NICU, where their mother works, contrasts with the darkness at home, suggesting a world of care and life that Susannah is currently removed from. This interplay of light and dark imagery highlights Susannah’s struggle between hope and resignation, presence and absence.

      4. Considering Susannah’s reflections on romance novels and community college brochures, what does this reveal about her perspective on her future and societal expectations?

      Answer:
      Susannah’s reflections reveal a tension between societal expectations and her personal feelings of disconnection and resistance. The romance novels, with their idealized and formulaic portrayals of love, seem distant and somewhat mocking to Susannah, who notes that such stories emphasize falling in love rather than practical achievements like finding a good job. Her disdain for the community college brochures—kept by her mother but discarded by Susannah—suggests reluctance or fear about following a conventional path to adulthood and success. This indicates Susannah’s uncertainty about her future and a struggle to find motivation or hope in the face of her grief and loss, highlighting a broader theme of adolescent alienation and the search for identity.

      5. How does the chapter portray the theme of silence and communication, particularly through Susannah’s interactions with Laura’s absence and the environment around her?

      Answer:
      Silence and communication are poignantly portrayed through Susannah’s attempts to reach out to Laura and the stark absence of any response. Susannah talks aloud to the empty room, the moon, and even to Laura’s guitar, seeking connection but receiving only silence, which is described as “typical of Laura.” This silence symbolizes the emotional barrier and the void left by Laura’s disappearance. The environment itself—the messy bed, the undisturbed belongings, the quiet house—echoes this lack of communication. Susannah’s destructive act against the guitar may be interpreted as a response to the unbearable silence, a physical manifestation of her frustration and desire to break through the void. The chapter thus explores how silence can both isolate and express deep emotional pain.

    Quotes

    • 1. “I’m tired of this,” the girl says to the moon in the window, because no one else is there to talk to. “Not knowing. Being in the dark. Being alone in the dark. Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

      This quote captures Susannah’s profound loneliness and uncertainty after her sister Laura’s disappearance. It sets the emotional tone of the chapter, revealing her struggle with absence and the human need for connection and answers.

      2. “If Susannah puts each of Laura’s things back exactly where it ought to be, then everything will go back to the way it should be.”

      This passage encapsulates Susannah’s desperate attempt to restore order and normalcy through ritual and control, highlighting the theme of coping with loss by clinging to the familiar and the hope that reassembling the past can heal the present.

      3. “There are so many novels about falling in love and so few about finding a really good and rewarding job. Not that Susannah has read a book in a long time. Books are for kids who go to college. Her mother keeps leaving community college brochures on the kitchen counter. Susannah keeps throwing them away.”

      This quote underscores Susannah’s internal conflict and resistance to societal expectations about her future. It reflects themes of class, aspiration, and the limited narratives available to young women like her, contrasting romantic fantasies with harsh realities.

      4. “If Daniel were here, he would help her figure out how to live without Laura. If Laura were here, she and Susannah could figure out together how to live without Daniel. But it’s only Susannah. It will only ever be Susannah again, which means that Susannah can’t be Susannah. She doesn’t know how.”

      Here, Susannah voices the core of her identity crisis provoked by loss and separation. The quote poignantly expresses her isolation and the fracturing of her sense of self, a key emotional turning point in the chapter.

      5. “Susannah lifts the Harmony over her head and brings it down hard on the corner of Laura’s desk. When this isn’t hard enough, she brings it down again and again until she has smashed what she can into pieces.”

      This climactic action symbolizes Susannah’s frustration, anger, and grief. Destroying the guitar—an object tied to Laura and their shared past—represents a breaking point, an outward manifestation of inner turmoil and the struggle to move forward.

    Quotes

    1. “I’m tired of this,” the girl says to the moon in the window, because no one else is there to talk to. “Not knowing. Being in the dark. Being alone in the dark. Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

    This quote captures Susannah’s profound loneliness and uncertainty after her sister Laura’s disappearance. It sets the emotional tone of the chapter, revealing her struggle with absence and the human need for connection and answers.

    2. “If Susannah puts each of Laura’s things back exactly where it ought to be, then everything will go back to the way it should be.”

    This passage encapsulates Susannah’s desperate attempt to restore order and normalcy through ritual and control, highlighting the theme of coping with loss by clinging to the familiar and the hope that reassembling the past can heal the present.

    3. “There are so many novels about falling in love and so few about finding a really good and rewarding job. Not that Susannah has read a book in a long time. Books are for kids who go to college. Her mother keeps leaving community college brochures on the kitchen counter. Susannah keeps throwing them away.”

    This quote underscores Susannah’s internal conflict and resistance to societal expectations about her future. It reflects themes of class, aspiration, and the limited narratives available to young women like her, contrasting romantic fantasies with harsh realities.

    4. “If Daniel were here, he would help her figure out how to live without Laura. If Laura were here, she and Susannah could figure out together how to live without Daniel. But it’s only Susannah. It will only ever be Susannah again, which means that Susannah can’t be Susannah. She doesn’t know how.”

    Here, Susannah voices the core of her identity crisis provoked by loss and separation. The quote poignantly expresses her isolation and the fracturing of her sense of self, a key emotional turning point in the chapter.

    5. “Susannah lifts the Harmony over her head and brings it down hard on the corner of Laura’s desk. When this isn’t hard enough, she brings it down again and again until she has smashed what she can into pieces.”

    This climactic action symbolizes Susannah’s frustration, anger, and grief. Destroying the guitar—an object tied to Laura and their shared past—represents a breaking point, an outward manifestation of inner turmoil and the struggle to move forward.

    FAQs

    1. How does Susannah’s relationship with her sister Laura influence her actions and emotions in this chapter?

    Answer:
    Susannah’s relationship with Laura is central to her emotional state and behavior throughout the chapter. Laura’s absence leaves a profound void; Susannah wakes up in Laura’s bed, feeling dislocated and alone, highlighting her longing for her sister’s presence. She attempts to maintain Laura’s world by tidying up Laura’s belongings exactly as they were, reflecting a desire to restore order and perhaps bring Laura back. Susannah’s actions, such as borrowing Laura’s clothes and handling her guitar, symbolize her attempt to connect with Laura’s identity and fill the gap left by her sister. The emotional weight of Laura’s absence manifests in Susannah’s frustration and despair, culminating in the violent destruction of the guitar, expressing her deep pain and helplessness.

    2. What role do the objects in Laura’s room (e.g., guitar, stuffed animals, romance novels) play in understanding Susannah’s feelings and the chapter’s themes?

    Answer:
    The objects in Laura’s room serve as tangible connections to Laura and represent Susannah’s memories, grief, and longing. The stuffed animals, such as the sky-blue owl and the secret-named dog, evoke childhood innocence and secrecy, highlighting what Susannah feels she has lost. Laura’s romance novels, meticulously arranged and described with wistful humor, symbolize idealized love and emotional escape, contrasting with Susannah’s harsher reality. The guitar, an instrument Laura “made talk,” embodies her sister’s voice and feelings; Susannah’s destruction of it reveals her frustration and inability to cope with absence and silence. Collectively, these objects underscore themes of loss, memory, and the struggle to reclaim or hold onto the past.

    Answer:
    The chapter employs imagery of light and darkness to mirror Susannah’s emotional turmoil and isolation. She wakes in the middle of the night, a time traditionally associated with uncertainty and fear, emphasizing her feeling of being “alone in the dark.” The full moon outside the window symbolizes a distant, unchanging presence—something constant yet unreachable—paralleling Susannah’s hope and despair regarding Laura’s return. The ultraviolet light in the NICU, where their mother works, contrasts with the darkness at home, suggesting a world of care and life that Susannah is currently removed from. This interplay of light and dark imagery highlights Susannah’s struggle between hope and resignation, presence and absence.

    4. Considering Susannah’s reflections on romance novels and community college brochures, what does this reveal about her perspective on her future and societal expectations?

    Answer:
    Susannah’s reflections reveal a tension between societal expectations and her personal feelings of disconnection and resistance. The romance novels, with their idealized and formulaic portrayals of love, seem distant and somewhat mocking to Susannah, who notes that such stories emphasize falling in love rather than practical achievements like finding a good job. Her disdain for the community college brochures—kept by her mother but discarded by Susannah—suggests reluctance or fear about following a conventional path to adulthood and success. This indicates Susannah’s uncertainty about her future and a struggle to find motivation or hope in the face of her grief and loss, highlighting a broader theme of adolescent alienation and the search for identity.

    5. How does the chapter portray the theme of silence and communication, particularly through Susannah’s interactions with Laura’s absence and the environment around her?

    Answer:
    Silence and communication are poignantly portrayed through Susannah’s attempts to reach out to Laura and the stark absence of any response. Susannah talks aloud to the empty room, the moon, and even to Laura’s guitar, seeking connection but receiving only silence, which is described as “typical of Laura.” This silence symbolizes the emotional barrier and the void left by Laura’s disappearance. The environment itself—the messy bed, the undisturbed belongings, the quiet house—echoes this lack of communication. Susannah’s destructive act against the guitar may be interpreted as a response to the unbearable silence, a physical manifestation of her frustration and desire to break through the void. The chapter thus explores how silence can both isolate and express deep emotional pain.

    Note