House of Glass

“Crimes of passion defy logic.”

With this simple statement, Stella reveals her deep understanding of human behavior. Here, she discusses the Barclay case with Marco and adds nuance to their conversation with her willingness to examine the nanny’s death from multiple angles. This keen insight ultimately helps her uncover several buried secrets.

“On our wedding day I was so in love I thought we could overcome anything. But there was one thing neither of us could compromise on. A dividing line that only grew deeper and wider with time. Marco wanted kids. I didn’t. More than that, I couldn’t. Not physically, but emotionally.”

The Lasting Impact of Childhood Trauma is key to Stella’s characterization, as her unresolved trauma is the driving force behind many of her decisions. Here, she obliquely explains that her mother’s addiction and death continue to impact her as an adult. Her marriage has failed largely because she remains too traumatized by her mother’s actions to become a mother herself. Although she is highly intelligent and hardworking, Stella is heavily influenced by her past trauma and moves through life as a deeply wounded individual.

“It’s as if Rose split into two people when she watched her nanny die: The little girl of before, a gifted student with the vocabulary of a much older child, and the expressionless child who sits before me now, a victim of traumatic mutism.”

Stella identifies with Rose because the two share the experience of traumatic mutism, a condition that Stella herself had after finding her mother’s body as a young girl. The empathy that she feels for Rose prevents her from realizing the possibility that Rose is more a target than a perpetrator of violence and abuse. Thus, much of the narrative will focus on Stella’s techniques for overcoming past transference and bias to figure out who Rose really is.

“My chest twists. I’m unable to get enough air. Rose is so innocent and so utterly alone. This is too much for her, I think. Witnessing a death and having a family fall apart, it’s too much for any child.”

Stella becomes an attorney specializing in the rights of children to overcome her own experience as a traumatized child in the care of adults who did not want her. Although she is highly skilled and effective, she is often drawn back into painful memories whenever her cases resemble her own history. Here, although she is dealing with Rose, she clearly remembers her own childhood and misses key details about Rose because she sees too much of herself in the young girl.

“I know what it’s like when the person who is supposed to protect you is the one who scares you the most.”

In this passage, Stella demonstrates her intense empathy with others, even in the direst of situations, and she is also aware of the pain of being an unwanted child. She is an empathetic and thorough attorney, and her work ethic and desire to help children provide her with a unique perspective on Rose’s plight as the novel progresses.

“Something evil lurks in the plastic house.”

This passage marks one of the first key moments of suspense in the novel. Stella initially sees Rose as vulnerable, but she comes to suspect Rose of being involved in Tina’s death after a series of eerie and unexplained events. The author reveals the truth about Rose only gradually, and it is not until Stella discovers the family’s true nature that their secrets are revealed. In the meantime, her emphasis on the concept of a “plastic” house emphasizes the false nature of its grand façade.

“Of all the ghosts I carry, my mother’s haunts me the most.”

In this passage, Stella directly acknowledges the complex emotions that she still feels for her late mother, who died of a drug overdose. By invoking the imagery of ghosts and haunting, the author creates a quasi-Gothic effect that carries over into Stella’s investigations of the Barclays’ grand, gloomy estate.

“Now it’s happening again. The polite, shy girl I met only a few days ago has vanished. Rose looks like she hates me. It’s as if a switch has been flipped in her.”

In this passage, Stella begins to realize that Rose might be a much more complex child than she originally thought. This realization shows Stella’s emotional intelligence and willingness to look beyond her initial biases and theories about the case. Although Stella is prone to identifying with Rose a bit too much, she is also a thorough and able researcher and a sound judge of character.

“Now I wonder, if my mother had lived, would I have forgiven her for all of the trauma she caused me after my father’s death?”

Stella’s trauma is a key focal point of the narrative and provides a parallel plotline that proves to be just as important as the Barclays’ dilemma. Here, she makes the astute observation that it is possible that she would not have felt so much love for her mother if she had not fatally overdosed. This is a key moment in Stella’s own healing process, as she is beginning to think about her trauma in a more complex and nuanced way.

“Rose could be trying to process her trauma, or she could be reliving the thrill of experience.”

Stella remains unsure of Rose’s true nature for much of the novel. When she begins to suspect Rose of having killed Tina, she realizes that she might have been projecting her own past trauma onto Rose. She did not think Rose was capable of murder because she herself would not have been. She labeled Rose as a target of abuse because that is how she perceives herself. Ultimately, Rose will indeed be revealed as a target of Harriet’s scheming, but Stella’s constant re-evaluation of Rose’s character adds to the novel’s suspense.

“My mother had significant anxiety. I recognize that now. When her life imploded, she self-medicated, perhaps because help wasn’t available to her or she didn’t know how to get it.”

Mental illness, addiction, trauma, processing, and recovery are all key focal points in this novel. Here, Stella reflects further on her mother’s difficulties and demonstrates her empathy and keen insight into human behavior. Stella realizes that her mother’s addiction was rooted in deeper issues, thereby demonstrating the depth of her knowledge and understanding. Notably, Stella’s interest in delving deeper into her mother’s history is also a key part of her emotional recovery.

“The sky is heavily layered with clouds when I arrive at the Barclays’, and the air feels damp and swollen. The private road leading to the estate is illuminated by old-fashioned lanterns, with gas flames flickering within the hurricane globes.”

The author’s vivid depictions of the gloomy landscape once again create a quasi-Gothic tone, and the storm clouds gathering above the Barclay estate foreshadow the turmoil to come. Additionally, the dramatic, eerie lighting on the road is designed to evoke the stereotypical trappings of horror films.

“I asked for honesty only seconds ago, and I’m pretty sure Beth is already lying to me. Rose has never once been pleased by my appearance.”

Secrecy and deception are key thematic focal points within this narrative, and part of Rose’s job as a best interest attorney is to sort through everyone’s secrets and lies in order to find out the truth about the Barclay family. The lies that each member of the Barclay family tells reveal their fundamental core of dysfunction and dishonesty, developing the theme of Secrecy and Dysfunctional Families.

“Beth’s cavalier expectation that others anticipate her wishes without her explicitly stating them is nothing more than a product of the entitlement of her great wealth. She’s used to people serving her and tending to her needs.”

Wealth and privilege play a key role in this novel, and much of Beth’s behavior can be contextualized by her extreme affluence. Her sense of entitlement, the extent to which she uses people around her, and the lack of respect she shows to less privileged people are all rooted in her family’s vast fortune.

“This is the first time that I’ve ever felt deeply shaken by a child client.”

Stella responds to Rose with particular empathy because of the parallels that she draws between her own past history and Rose’s recent trauma. Because she is able to empathize with Rose in this way, she is ultimately able to uncover the truth about the Barclay family. In this passage, her stark admission reveals just how deeply she has allowed herself to become emotionally attached to the outcome of the case.

“Perhaps Rose was fascinated by the pain and suffering of this creature, or worse, titillated by it.”

The theory that Rose herself might be a murderer is at the core of this novel’s suspenseful narration. However, Rose is ultimately revealed to be a target of her grandmother’s manipulation, and the final revelations of the novel shift to a broader thematic interest in Secrecy and Dysfunctional Families and The Nature of Evil.

“Never make the mistake of underestimating her just because she is a child.”

Although this line is uttered in the context of Rose’s possible involvement in Tina’s murder, it ultimately speaks to Rose’s ability to uncover and understand her family’s secrets and even to protect herself in the face of possible retribution from Harriet. It also, in a large sense, speaks to the general resilience of children, as both Rose and Stella are presented as strong survivors of childhood trauma.

“Fury is more menacing when it glides beneath a seemingly placid surface. People who can control their rage, spiraling it out and yanking it back like a whip are far more unsettling to me than someone who erupts in the heat of the moment.”

In this passage, Stella ultimately arrives at the conclusion that evil does not necessarily manifest as outwardly obvious anger or rage. Instead, true evil lurks below the surface and is often mistaken for healthy behavior and a rational state of mind. Such reflections contribute to the novel’s exploration of The Nature of Evil.

“Lies gather force when the stakes rise.”

The impact of deception can be seen in the Barclay family’s many lies, which multiply and intensify as the story progresses. In order to do true justice to solving Rose’s predicament, Stella must unpack the truth hidden beneath an increasingly tense atmosphere, and the case ultimately has repercussions for her own mental health as well.

“I finally identified the source of the dark energy that permeates the house. I felt it when her whisper snaked deep into my ear like a curl of smoke. It’s always been present because she is always present. It comes from Harriet. Harriet pretended to be Rose’s alibi during Tina’s death. But I think Harriet was actually using Tina as her alibi.”

This passage speaks to The Nature of Evil. Stella first identifies Rose as the source of evil in the house, but one of the key lessons she learns during her investigation is that evil often disguises itself. After realizing Harriet’s true nature, Stella understands that malice can lurk below the surface of society’s most outwardly functional people.

“Rose must have been so scared. She couldn’t sleep. She was gathering weapons to protect herself, and Harriet made us think Rose killed Tina.”

The harried and anguished tone of this passage reflects the fact that Stella is an empathetic character who feels protective of Rose even when she thinks that Rose might be a killer. Here, she realizes that Harriet has been framing Rose, and she renews her commitment to help the girl.

“This house feels so different. Glass is everywhere.”

This line, spoken at the end of the novel, speaks to the role that healing and recovery play within the narrative. The plastic and plexiglass are gone, signaling that the Barclay family is ready to move past their recent traumas and focus on the future.

“Then Rose begins to run to me, her hair a brilliant flame beneath the sunlight. ‘Thank you,’ she whispers.”

Stella largely achieves her goals during this novel. She solves the mystery of the Barclay family, helps put Harriet behind bars, and ensures the best possible outcome for Rose. She also begins her own healing journey and re-enters therapy. Arguably, for Stella, the most important achievement is having helped another young, vulnerable child, and in this moment, she is happy to receive confirmation of that from Rose herself.