Wild Side

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes references to drug addiction and the death of a loved one.

Tabitha is one of the novel’s main characters and first-person narrators. The chapters titled with her first name are written from her first-person point of view and present episodes from her storyline. These sections of the narrative provide insight into Tabitha’s interiority and aim to immerse the reader in her distinct emotional and psychological experience.

In the narrative present, Tabitha is 28 and trying to adjust to the recent death of her older sister, Erika. Ever since high school, Tabitha has felt responsible for Erika’s well-being and has prioritized Erika’s care over her own. Their parents have always regarded Tabitha as the ideal daughter and Erika as the uncontrollable, flawed daughter. Tabitha feels caught between her love for her sister and her frustrations with her parents.

Through her relationship with Erika, the novel shows Tabitha’s resilience and compassion. Even after Paul and Lisa cut Erika out, Tabitha doesn’t give up on her. She maintains their relationship, continues caring for Milo and helping Erika financially, and mediates Erika’s relationship with their parents. In these ways, Tabitha demonstrates her love for her family and her sacrificial nature.