Chapter 1: Summary, Analysis, and Study Notes
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The chapter opens with Alexis alone on a dark rural road in Iowa, still gripping the steering wheel after swerving to avoid a raccoon in heavy fog and driving her sedan into a shallow embankment. She is shaken but unhurt. After her tires spin uselessly in the mud, she calls roadside assistance and learns she faces an hour-long wait—a frustrating delay on what has already been a terrible week.
Still two hours from her home in Minneapolis, Alexis calls her best friend Bri. The conversation quickly reveals the context: Alexis has just come from a three-day family reunion and funeral in Cedar Rapids for her Great-Aunt Lil, who died suddenly in her nursing home. Her ex-boyfriend Neil was conspicuously absent but texted her throughout the service, and her twin brother Derek was in Cambodia, avoiding the family drama as usual. Alexis's mother delivered the eulogy, which she did well.
While on the phone, Alexis decides to remove her Spanx—what Bri calls Satan's underwear—since she is alone on an empty road. But just as she is mid-removal, headlights appear. A bearded man in a denim jacket with a wool collar arrives with a large shaggy dog named Hunter. He taps on her window, and after a slightly awkward exchange (Alexis is still half-undressed and trying to cover up), he offers to tow her out. He notes that the local tow truck driver, Carl, is unavailable—six beers deep at the VFW—so waiting for roadside assistance could take a while.
Alexis accepts his help. While he works, she continues her conversation with Bri, who proposes an elaborate scheme: both women would pick up dates on Tinder, take them to a café near Neil's office, and when Neil shows up, Alexis would accidentally spill red wine on his shirt while Bri makes out with her date. Alexis laughs but firmly declines, stating she is not dating for the foreseeable future—she does not need men in her life right now, or ever. Bri counters with the idea of a hot girl summer, but Alexis prefers the idea of a Golden Girls summer.
The man finishes attaching his chain, instructs Alexis to put the car in neutral, and pulls her sedan back onto the road. He inspects the car with a flashlight, finds no damage, and returns to her window. Alexis slides two twenty-dollar bills through the crack, but he refuses, smiling and saying it is a freebie before telling her to drive safe. He drives off into the fog with a friendly wave, leaving Alexis alone with her thoughts—and her phone still connected to Bri.
Key Events
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Alexis swerves to avoid a raccoon and drives her car into an embankment on a foggy Iowa road
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She calls roadside assistance and learns she faces an hour-long wait
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She calls Bri and reveals the funeral details: Neil's absence, Derek's no-show, her mother's eulogy
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A stranger with a dog named Hunter arrives and offers to tow her out
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Bri proposes a convoluted Tinder scheme to humiliate Neil, which Alexis declines
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The man tows Alexis's car out, checks it for damage, and refuses her $40 payment
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He drives off, leaving Alexis to continue her journey home
Character Development
Alexis emerges as a woman in transition. She has just endured a breakup with Neil (described by Bri as her soon-to-be ex-husband), attended a difficult family funeral alone, and is now stranded on a dark road. Her immediate instinct is to handle things herself—calling roadside assistance, checking her own car, and managing her own emotions. Her refusal to engage with Bri's revenge scheme shows maturity and self-awareness; she is not interested in games or romance, declaring she does not need men in her life. Yet her willingness to accept help from a stranger, and her brief acknowledgment that he is kind of cute, hints at a crack in her armor.
Bri is established as the classic best friend—loyal, funny, and slightly chaotic. She stays on the phone with Alexis in case she gets murdered, offers comic relief, and pushes Alexis toward a more adventurous post-breakup life. Her scheme is elaborate and ridiculous, but it comes from a place of wanting to see her friend move on.
The man (unnamed in this chapter) is introduced as a kind, capable small-town type. He notices Alexis's situation, offers help without being asked, does the work efficiently, and refuses payment. His dog Hunter is friendly and endearing. The chapter deliberately withholds his name, creating intrigue.
Neil is present only through absence—he did not attend the funeral but texted Alexis throughout, which Bri calls nothing but audacity. This establishes him as someone who cannot fully let go but also will not show up when it matters.
Derek, Alexis's twin brother, is characterized through his absence as well—he is in Cambodia, avoiding family drama, which Alexis notes is very on brand for him.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Independence and self-reliance: Alexis's immediate response to her situation is to handle it herself—calling roadside assistance, checking her car, and managing her emotions. Her declaration that she does not need men right now, or ever, reinforces this theme, though the stranger's help complicates it.
Small-town kindness vs. urban anonymity: The man's willingness to stop and help a stranger, and his refusal of payment, contrasts with the impersonal roadside assistance system. He knows the local tow truck driver by name and reputation. This sets up a potential contrast between Alexis's city life and the rural community she has stumbled into.
The Spanx as a symbol: The shapewear Alexis is desperate to remove represents the constriction and discomfort of her current life—the funeral, the breakup, the family obligations. Her attempt to shed it in the car, and the interruption by the stranger, mirrors her larger struggle to free herself from emotional constraints.
Family obligation and avoidance: The funeral brings together themes of duty (Alexis attending alone) and avoidance (Derek in Cambodia, Neil absent). Alexis's mother's eulogy suggests a family member who steps up when others do not.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 1 establishes the emotional and situational groundwork for the entire novel. Alexis is at a low point: freshly broken up, grieving a relative, stranded on a dark road, and emotionally exhausted. The chapter introduces her core conflict—her determination to avoid romance and men entirely—which will presumably be challenged as the story unfolds. The mysterious stranger, with his kindness and refusal of payment, plants the seed of a potential connection. The chapter also establishes the key relationships in Alexis's life: her supportive best friend Bri, her absent twin brother Derek, and her problematic ex Neil. The contrast between Alexis's controlled, self-sufficient urban life and the unexpected kindness of a stranger in the middle of nowhere sets up the central tension of the novel.
Study Questions
1. Why does Alexis refuse Bri's Tinder scheme, and what does this reveal about her emotional state?
Alexis declines because she is not interested in dating or revenge. She states she does not need men in her life right now, or ever, which reveals she is still processing her breakup with Neil and is emotionally guarded. Her preference for a Golden Girls summer over a hot girl summer shows she is seeking comfort and stability rather than excitement.
2. What does the stranger's refusal of payment suggest about his character and the community he represents?
His refusal of the $40 suggests he is genuinely helpful rather than transactional. He stops to help a stranger in need, does the work without being asked for anything, and drives off with a friendly wave. This reflects a small-town culture of neighborly assistance, contrasting with the impersonal roadside assistance system that would have left Alexis waiting an hour.
3. How does the chapter use absence to characterize Neil and Derek?
Neil is characterized through his absence from the funeral—he did not attend but texted Alexis throughout, which Bri calls audacious. This suggests he wants to maintain a presence in her life without actually showing up. Derek is in Cambodia, avoiding family drama, which Alexis notes is very on brand. Both absences highlight Alexis's isolation at the funeral and her role as the one who shows up when others do not.
Navigation
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