This One Summer

Windy is the deuteragonist of This One Summer and a summertime friend of Rose. She is 10 years old when the novel takes place but does her best to keep up with 12-year-old Rose as the two girls learn about adulthood, themselves, and each other. Windy is passionate about music and swimming. She is an unconventional girl who challenges The Socially Prescribed Obligations of Womanhood with her confidence and sense of self. It is hinted at throughout the novel that she is a lesbian, such as when she mentions having an aunt who is a lesbian, says “I don’t want a husband” (75), and the way she reacts to Rose’s crush on Duncan (often teasing her for it and not understanding Duncan’s appeal). Like Rose, Windy is curious about sexuality, but she is still only 10 and frequently becomes uncomfortable when the subject arises unwarranted. Windy watches horror movies with Rose, acting as brave as she can but revealing at the end of the summer that she can no longer watch them: “My mom said I’m like screaming out weird stuff in my sleep” (303).

Windy is adopted and unaware of what she’ll look like in the future. However, she seems unafraid of this, instead being excited to grow up. At one point, she advocates for adoption, mentioning to Rose that Jenny’s baby could be adopted and that it is a noble thing to do. Although Windy comes off as immature through her jokes about sexuality, she also reveals a wiser side of herself in the way she advocates for adoption and calls out Rose’s sexism when she insults Jenny.

Alice Wallace is Rose’s mother and a round character whose source of depression is slowly revealed throughout the novel. When the Wallace family first arrives in Awago Beach, it is clear that something is off with Alice; she seems unhappy to be there and Evan almost immediately starts nagging her: “Vacation, Alice” (16). Alice snaps at Evan, showcasing the tension between them early on. Rose is also affected by Alice’s depression, which is most evident in the way she clings to her mother and continually begs her to come swimming. Alice’s insistence on avoiding the lake is obvious when Uncle Daniel tries to pressure her into swimming and she pushes him; she effectively pushes her sister and brother-in-law away in this moment. Her depression affects everyone around her, showcasing The Permeative Effects of Mental Illness.

Alice’s distance from her family is the result of trauma she experienced the summer before, when she suffered a miscarriage while swimming in the lake. She never told Rose about this experience, and Rose is thus unaware of the reason for her mother’s mood. She instead thinks that Alice is simply unhappy with having one child, and accuses her mother of “making everything sad” (228). Alice knows she has become distant from Rose, and feels ashamed and inadequate as a result. When Evan leaves, Alice shuts herself in her room and does not even prepare dinner; still, she cannot bring herself to confide in Rose, wanting to shield her. Similarly, Evan has become frustrated with Alice, and the two argue frequently. Rose listens to these arguments, often remembering and quoting them months later. Alice finally breaks out of her lull when she sees Jenny floating face-down in the lake and dives in to save her.

In Rose’s memories of happier times, Alice’s face seems less tired and more vibrant; she smiles and fully focuses on Rose. However, the novel ends on a hopeful note, as Alice finally voices her trauma to Windy’s mother Evelyn, who encourages Alice to open up to Rose next.

Evan Wallace is Rose’s father. He is a round character and someone Rose depends on for stability in her life, as her mother spirals into depression. Evan is always ready with a cheesy joke: “My dad has all these jokes about how I was born. About how they found me at IKEA. Or in the grocery store with the frozen foods, next to the chicken wings. Or at the turkey hatchery down the road from the cottage” (165-66). Rose recalls these moments with a hint of sorrow as her father gets in the car to drive back to the city, knowing she will miss him.

Evan’s relationship with Alice, his wife, is strained after she suffers a miscarriage and shuts down. He often pressures Alice to relax, reminds her that she is on vacation, and berates her for making the vacation miserable. Much like his daughter, Evan feels hurt by Alice’s neglect—and ends up hurting her with his nagging; his increasing frustration with her is representative of The Permeative Effects of Mental Illness. Rose notices that her parents’ fighting is becoming more frequent, and when Evan finally returns after going to the city for a few days, he and Alice go about the day in silence. The fate of Evan and Alice’s relationship is left uncertain when the story ends, but the future seems more optimistic than when the summer began.

Jenny is a round character who initially appears to be a typical, rowdy teenager who drinks and smokes with friends and flirts with Duncan. She and her friends tease Rose and Windy when they come to Brewster’s, yelling at them about oral sex and teasing each other for discussing sex in front of children. However, it is soon revealed that Jenny is a complex person who experiences a significant shift in her life when she finds out she is pregnant. Jenny is certain that Duncan is the father, but he denies responsibility. She becomes the victim of bullying and shaming as a result of her pregnancy; she is even embarrassed at work when two teenage boys publicly question her about birth control. After this incident, she cries, knowing she’ll likely have to deal with the social stigma of being a teenage mother.

Rose is also guilty of judging Jenny, calling her a “slut” (239) and telling Windy, “I think it’s stupid that girls can’t, like, take care of their stuff and then everything is fucked up. Maybe she deserves it” (240). The ridicule, as well as Duncan’s refusal to take responsibility, become too much for Jenny and she tries to drown herself. This comes as a horrifying shock to everyone in Awago Beach, and wakes Rose to the realities of Jenny’s experience. Jenny’s character arc challenges The Socially Prescribed Obligations of Womanhood and how these obligations can have dangerous consequences on the mental health of women (when they are expected to bear full responsibility for “feminine” pursuits such as parenthood).

Evelyn is Windy’s adoptive mother. She is a static character who acts as a calming, comforting force throughout the novel. She is a massage therapist who is jokingly described as someone who is “all vegetarian cookbooks and incense” (20). Evelyn is physically affectionate with Rose, whom she loves like a daughter and wishes to lend an ear; furthermore, her sympathy allows Alice to open up and liberate herself from her feelings of guilt and inadequacy. She reminds Alice that “there are no shitty moms” (266), illustrating how she disagrees with The Socially Prescribed Obligations of Womanhood. Evelyn counsels Alice on the night of Jenny’s near drowning, when the latter confesses that she experienced a miscarriage. Like her daughter, Evelyn is somewhat unconventional in that she chose to adopt and encourages Windy to fully be herself.