The Cousins

“My maternal grandmother loomed large over my childhood, but as more of a fairy-tale figure than an actual person.”

Much like Catmint House, Mildred is a large, imposing force to be reckoned with. For Milly, Mildred is a mythical figure representing the glamor, wealth, and elegance that her mother has chased after all these years. Mildred is more of an idea than a human being, which grants her an almost-superhuman reputation that cannot possibly be imitated by Milly, her mother, or anyone in the Story family.

“My mother and her three brothers grew up on a giant beachfront estate named Catmint House, riding horses and attending black-tie parties like they were the princess and princes of Gull Cove Island.”

At the novel's beginning, the Story family background is highlighted as regal and almost royal. By using words like “beachfront,” “black-tie,” and “princess and princes,” McManus establishes the wealth and notoriety of the Story family. The reader knows immediately that this is not a typical family, and these are not typical family dynamics. Money and prestige are of the utmost importance for the Story family, and they are expected to conduct themselves accordingly.

“Mildred disowned all of her children. She cut them off both financially and personally, with no explanation except for a single-sentence letter sent two weeks before Christmas through her lawyer [...] You know what you did.” 

These lines establish the great scandal and overarching mystery of the Story family that will drive the novel's plot: Why did Mildred disown her child, and what did they do to deserve this extreme separation? The reader will find out that this letter was used as a cover-up to ensure that the fake Mildred, Theresa, was never caught. However, it also hints that the Story children are not entirely blameless, especially in the death of Matt Ryan: the letter is an accusation against Anders, Adam, and to a lesser extent, Allison.