Home Before Dark

The protagonist of Home Before Dark, Maggie is a multilayered character, even to herself. Her tenuous grasp on her own identity is one of the novel’s primary sources of conflict. For instance, Maggie describes some of the views that people associate with her, given her relationship to Ewan’s book: “I’ve been associated with that book since I was five. People read it and think they know me, but what they’ve read is a lie. Their perception of me is a lie” (45). However, Maggie is generally unsure of how she should perceive herself. In the book, her father writes, “Maggie was a quiet girl. Not shy, exactly. Observant was more like it. Content to sit back and watch” (92). As the adult narrator, Maggie doesn’t present as necessarily shy, quiet, or merely observant. Rather, she’s confident and often outspoken, even when people condescend to her because she’s a woman: “I get it all the time. Constant questions that would never be posed to a man. Am I skilled enough? Strong enough? Capable enough?” (63). The answer to these questions is always yes.

Maggie is haunted by the absence of her memories of Baneberry Hall, her estrangement from her parents, and her need to know the truth.