Chapter 43: Copper — Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Chapter 43: Copper — Summary

Chapter 43 is the seventh anniversary letter, dated 28 February 2015, written by the narrator (the wife) to Adam. The chapter's word of the year is discombobulated — feeling confused and disconcerted — which sets the emotional tone for the entire letter.

The letter opens by acknowledging a difficult year. Months earlier, October O'Brien, the star of the TV series Rock Paper Scissors, was found dead in a London hotel. The newspapers reported it as a suspected suicide: empty bottles of alcohol and pills were found by her bed, with no note. October was barely thirty years old and had seemed outwardly happy and positive. The narrator reveals that October's real name was Rainbow O'Brien — her parents were hippies, and nobody at the funeral wore black. The narrator had grown close to October herself, sharing occasional drinks, dog walks, and gallery visits, and she genuinely misses her. October's death also meant the cancellation of the TV series, since the show could not continue without its star.

To mark their seventh anniversary and escape the grief, the couple travelled to New York. However, the trip coincided with the premiere of Henry Winter's film The Black House, adapted from his novel. Adam was eager to attend because Henry Winter had insisted he would only attend the premiere if Adam accompanied him — and suggested Adam bring his wife. The narrator felt like a fraud walking the red carpet at the Ziegfeld theatre, surrounded by glamorous celebrities, and worried she was a disappointment to Adam.

After the premiere, Henry wanted Adam to accompany him to more events the next day. The narrator spent the day alone, visiting the Statue of Liberty (climbing 354 steps to the crown, silently counting reasons to stay married) and Coney Island, where she found a