The Other Mrs.

The final section (or epilogue) bookends the novel along with its opening prologue. The family (minus Will) finally has its “fresh start” on the West Coast, in California. While many loose ends are left untied, the focus here is on the reintegration of Sadie’s alters and the healing of the family as a whole. Along with Female Resilience in the 21st-Century Thriller, healing plays a part here. The proverb “physician, heal thyself” (Luke 4:23) can be applied here: Sadie’s earlier inability or refusal to pursue treatment for her mental-health condition left her vulnerable to Will’s manipulation. The entire family needs to be healed; Imogen was traumatized by her mother’s suicide, and Otto and Tate suffered from their mother’s untreated condition and their father’s criminality and death.

While the reader is meant to believe in the novel’s “happy ending,” there are still hints that Sadie is living in denial. For example, she states, “I’ve never been one to sugarcoat or to lie,” but she has lied throughout the book. This reinforces that she is still an unreliable narrator, though possibly less dangerous without an antagonist to manipulate her. The promise of healing is also undermined by the secrets Sadie and Imogen are keeping. Sadie’s exoneration does not tell the full truth of Morgan’s death; Imogen has manipulated evidence to pin all of the blame on Will. Above all, the family does not talk about these truths. If honesty is required to resolve trauma, the book hints that the family is not there yet.