Now Is Not the Time to Panic

Frankie recalls attending a liberal-arts college after high school, where she ultimately uses her Nancy Drew-like novel for an independent study with an eccentric professor upon discovering he has also written a quirky novel. He provides line edits for her book, and connects Frankie to a New York literary agent. Frankie goes on to write and publish three more novels featuring the same girl detective. These prove successful, but the adult novel that follows does not. As her adult life unfolds, she still thinks about the poster and frequently feels “weighed down” (192) by the secret of it.

One evening, Frankie arranges for a babysitter to take Junie to see a movie so that she can talk to Aaron about the poster. Aaron is worried that something is wrong, and Frankie slowly reveals that a reporter wishes to interview her about the Coalfield Panic, which she is responsible for causing. Aaron initially does not believe Frankie is telling the truth, but quickly grows upset that she never shared the secret with him. He fears legal action could be taken against Frankie and worries about the news harming Frankie’s writing career. They argue, Aaron upset not only because Frankie never told him the truth but also because she has allowed the poster to continue to consume her into adulthood.