“You may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time—the tabloids loved it, if you recall: MURDER ISLAND was a popular headline. Unsurprising, really, as it had all the perfect ingredients for a press sensation: a reclusive ex-movie star; a private Greek island cut off by the wind…and, of course, a murder.”

In the opening pages, Elliot speaks to the reader directly, establishing the technique of direct address that he will use throughout the novel. Through his representation of his story as being both famous and sensational, he also piques the reader’s interest and offers a few enticing details to convince the reader to continue. However, he is simultaneously establishing his authority as the teller of the real story.

“The following year, Otto, inspired by Nikos’s efforts, arranged for a small orchard to be imported from Athens—hanging on ropes, suspended from helicopters—apple, pear, peach, and cherry trees, all planted in a walled garden. They, too, thrived. Everything seemed to bloom, on this island of love. Sounds blissful, doesn’t it? Idyllic, I know. Even now, it’s so tempting to romanticize it. No one wants reality; we all want a fairy tale—and that’s how Lana’s story seemed to the outside world. A charmed, magical life. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that things are seldom as they seem.”

Elliot establishes the island as a magical place, with fertile ground in which everything thrives. However, he also warns that the island isn’t what it appears, a hint that applies to the story he is about to tell. Elliot tells his story in layers, each of which gets further from the fairy tale and closer to the reality of what occurred on their trip to Aura.

“And even when I was a child, and full of self-loathing, I sensed another world was out there. A better world, where I might belong. A brighter world—beyond the darkness, lit by spotlights. What am I talking about? The theater, of course.”

In this passage, Elliot reveals why theater is such an integral part of his life and also explains his deep attachment to Lana. However, this narration also reveals to the reader Elliot’s Understanding the World Through Story—Elliot’s sense of safety and security is rooted in the theater, but it also offers him insight into character, which aids him in understanding people. This conflation of story and reality, however, will eventually prove to be his downfall.