Things We Left Behind

The opening chapters immediately introduce the recurring theme of Complex Family Legacies and emphasize the various ways in which the protagonists must reconcile their lingering grief over all that they have suffered and lost. In this way, the author emphasizes the multifaceted nature of the novel’s title, for just as Lucian must come to grips with the abuses and regrets of his past, Sloane must also find a way to reconcile her grief over the death of her father, and both characters must find a way to move forward into a more constructive future that is no longer chained to the things they have left behind. At this point, however, that process has barely begun. Grieving the recent death of her father, Sloane is devastated by the realization that her memories of Simon will “never come close to filling the hole his absence [has] left behind” (6). This rumination once again makes explicit reference to the novel’s title, further reinforcing the dominant theme. Despite the family’s continued pain over Simon’s death, the narrative also makes it clear that his memory is cherished by his community as well as his loved ones, and the various guests at the funeral highlight the considerable financial, legal, social, and emotional support that Simon has willingly given to others over the years. Sloane feels a pressure to live up to his legacy by continuing to provide support to her community through her library, and by taking on Mary Louise’s case when she discovers Simon’s connection to the woman’s son.

The theme of Complex Family Legacies also pertains to the wishes that Sloane’s parents have for their children. In Chapter 1, for example, Sloane mentions that her parents have long held out hopes that she and her siblings will gift them with many grandchildren. Although Sloane does not explicitly admit it, she feels ashamed that she was not able to make this dream come true before her father’s death. Unlike her sister, Maeve, Sloane remains single, and her encounter with her cousin’s baby during the funeral forces her to address her desire for a family and acknowledge the steadily dwindling countdown on making this dream a reality. Thus, the author uses the funeral to illustrate the many unspoken ties and expectations that join Sloane’s family, and the scene also presents an opportunity to further expand on Sloane’s own unaccomplished life goals. The details of this expository chapter will prove crucial to fully understanding the nuances of Sloane and Lucian’s tumultuous attempts to rekindle their relationship as the novel progresses.

These early chapters establish the central role that Lucian plays in providing emotional and financial support for Sloane’s family. Similarly, the loving descriptions of Simon also establish him as a clear foil for Lucian’s abusive father. Thus, the author invokes a more problematic aspect of Complex Family Legacies to further develop the characterization of Lucian, who holds considerable emotional depths despite his cool, collected public persona. As Lucian later admits to his friend Emry, Sloane reminds him of a past that he desperately wants to forget. This statement is an allusion to Lucian’s unsuccessful attempt to leave Sloane behind even as he struggles to recover from the traumatic legacy of his abusive father. Acting as a both friend and a licensed therapist, Emry reminds Lucian that he “can’t just forget the past or pretend it doesn’t exist” because “the only way out is through” (136). Though Lucian is not yet ready to act on this advice, it does become the lesson he finally learns at the end of the novel, when he directly confronts Sloane and overcomes his past, taking the first steps toward forging a positive path forward.

In the meantime, however, part of Lucian’s plan to escape his father’s legacy is to create a new one. He does so by creating a multi-million-dollar company and funding charitable services that are designed to combat The Impact of Corruption in the political arena. Although Lucian claims not to believe in justice, he devotes his career to prioritizing it, but his use of morally ambiguous or even illegal means renders him a problematic figure in the novel. His more questionable activities, while conducted in the name of improving the world around him, nonetheless imbue him with the attributes of a villain, and this impression is strengthened when the narrative reveals that Sloane often whimsically thinks of him as Lucifer incarnate. At first, Sloane deems Lucian’s expensive suits and extravagant wealth as proof that he is “a two-dimensional caricature of a villain” (124), but as the novel progresses, she must revise her view, for Price further complicates Lucian’s image by giving him several heroic attributes as well. Ultimately, Sloane will comes to view him as a hero for the charity he selflessly gives to people and organizations in need, judging that the nobility of these priorities outweighs his more questionable actions.

Ironically, Lucian struggles with these same conflicting views in himself, wondering: “Did I look like the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company? Did I look like I could be someone’s husband, someone’s father? Or did I look like the villain I was?” (134). Despite feeling proud of the success that he has built from the ruins of his old life, he worries about how Sloane views him, and the majority of his character development focuses on his struggle to break free of the trauma of his youth as he works on Rebuilding a Sense of Self-Worth. In these early chapters, his inability to fully value himself obstructs his attempts to navigate his relationship with Sloane, because at his core, he feels unworthy of her love. His traumatic past has fostered feelings of doubt, self-consciousness, and internalized hatred that he must overcome if he ever wishes to find meaningful connection.