Sloane is a primary, dynamic character. Parts 1 and 6 are titled with her name and written from her first-person point of view. These sections render the narrative world according to Sloane’s perception of it. In the narrative present, Sloane is a librarian in her small hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She’s engaged to Brett Marcowitz, a tidy, predictable, and stable chiropractor. Sloane doesn’t have intense feelings for Brett, but no one treats Brett “with anything but respect” (17). Sloane similarly follows Brett’s lead throughout their relationship in spite of her tepid feelings. It isn’t until Sloane starts to make friends beyond her library job and fiancé’s family that she discovers how to take more independent action in her life.

Sloane has been grieving her sister, Emily Parker, since her death when she was a child. Because Sloane doesn’t have a close relationship with her parents, she feels alone in her sorrow. To escape her complex feelings and to distract herself from her social isolation, Sloane has become reliant upon books and reading. When she first meets grouchy library patron Arthur McLachlan, Arthur reminds her that reading “about life isn’t the same as living it” (12).