A Town Called Solace

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-18

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Character Analysis

Clara Jordon

Clara is an eight-year-old girl and one of the book’s protagonists. At the beginning, Clara is dealing with the triple anxiety of her sister’s disappearance, Mrs. Orchard’s lengthy absence, and Liam’s unexpected arrival at Mrs. Orchard’s house.

Clara is a serious, introspective young child who is deeply impacted by the immediate events in her life. She does not have enough information about the circumstances and does not feel like she can trust the adults in her life, which heightens her sense of instability. She withdraws in response to the stress, both unable and unwilling to share her thoughts and emotions with the people around her. Her teacher tells her parents that Clara has not shown any emotion following Rose’s disappearance and is not interacting as much with her friends. To self-soothe, Clara turns to performing a strict set of rituals that she believes will ensure her sister’s return: She keeps a constant vigil at the living room window, she counts her steps to school, and she tries to brush her teeth in a certain way.

Clara is also extremely responsible, as demonstrated in her dedicated care of Moses. Clara carries out this duty without the need for any reminders, and she is determined to continue even when Liam’s arrival presents a potential obstacle. She even attempts to maintain Mrs. Orchard’s house the way it was when she left, feeling irritated by Liam leaving his cardboard boxes in the middle of the room and growing incensed when he begins to pack up Mrs. Orchard’s things.

Clara eventually learns to open up emotionally and to trust adults again thanks to the bond she forms with Liam. Liam is the only one to tell her the truth about Mrs. Orchard’s death and the complications of Rose’s return, and his honesty in turn inspires Clara to be honest with him: She tells him about Dan, and when she is feeling stressed by the confusion of Rose’s return, she seeks refuge with him. By the end of the book, Clara not only is adjusting to having her sister back but also is able to trust adults again and has begun reconnecting with others.

Liam Kane

Liam Kane is a middle-aged man and a second protagonist. He has recently arrived in Solace, looking for a holiday after his divorce. He has inherited Mrs. Orchard’s home, even though he has not seen Mrs. Orchard since he was a four-year-old child.

Liam struggles with feelings of loneliness and inadequacy, worrying that he is not good at relationships. He remembers feeling alienated from his family from a young age, with his mother favoring his sisters and his father leaving after a divorce. Liam also reflects on how he was unable to make friends even as a child, and his eventual marriage to Fiona has fallen apart, further undermining his confidence. His only truly happy memories are those of the Orchards, as he recalls the couple showing him affection, respect, and attention. In taking over Mrs. Orchard’s home, Liam’s warm memories of the couple signal that he is in a place where deep emotional healing can and will take place.

Thus, in Solace, Liam soon becomes more open toward others and starts forming close connections. Jim Peake takes to Liam easily, confiding in him and even sending his son, Cal, to Liam for advice. Clara, too, trusts Liam enough to tell him about Dan, and even Sergeant Barnes invites Liam into his home. Liam also begins a romantic relationship with Jo, eventually falling in love with her. All of these ties indicate that, despite his self-criticisms, Liam is a kind, sensitive person, fully capable of forming strong and meaningful relationships after all.

At the novel’s close, Liam takes the final step on his journey of self-growth by realizing that he wishes to remain in Solace instead of selling Mrs. Orchard’s house. His genuine affection for others in the community and his deep sense of comfort and belonging reveal to him that he has at last found a place to call home.

Elizabeth Orchard

Mrs. Orchard is an elderly woman and the book’s third protagonist. In the present-day narrative, she has been admitted to the hospital with a failing heart. As she lies in bed, she reflects on her interactions with her ward mates and her memories, especially those that heavily involve Liam.

One of Mrs. Orchard’s defining character traits is her deep love for children. In Solace, she was close to Clara and kind to her, even leaving her cat in her care when she went into hospital. In her flashbacks and reminiscences, she reveals that she also once worked as a schoolteacher. However, Mrs. Orchard struggled for years with grief over being unable to bear children of her own, and her unresolved depression over her infertility fed into an unhealthy dynamic she once had with Liam.

Mrs. Orchard’s memories of Liam clearly show both her loving nature and her increasing inability to understand the boundaries in her relationship with him. Liam adores the attention and genuine affection that Mrs. Orchard lavishes upon him, but Mrs. Orchard gradually confuses her own emotional needs with Liam’s. She begins resenting his mother and angling to replace her in his life instead of trying to help Annette and Liam form a better bond, and she fills her home with books and toys for Liam, even transforming the guest room into “his” room to create a false sense of permanency. When her husband warns her that she is crossing the line, she refuses to listen, and her behavior begins to strain the marriage.

The high point of crisis in Mrs. Orchard’s life occurs when Annette discovers the extent of her attachment to Liam, creating a rupture between the two families. Mrs. Orchard responds by escalating the situation, kidnapping Liam in the middle of the night. Her arrest and imprisonment bring a turning point: She eventually receives professional psychiatric care, which enables her to face her grief and to repair her relationship with her husband. For decades, she does not contact Liam, until after her husband’s death she begins writing him letters. However, she is now mindful enough to remember that boundaries must be maintained and that she needs to respect his family: She turns down the opportunity to attend his wedding, knowing her presence would upset Annette.

Just as Mrs. Orchard’s first-person narration can be biased with respect to her memories of Liam, it also reflects her progress and self-awareness in the later stages of her life. She reflects on her time in Guelph and the final incident with Liam with clarity, understanding that she was not acting rationally. She therefore moves from a place of deep sorrow and grief that distorts her perception of reality to a place of acceptance and clarity even in the face of death. Her character receives the ultimate resolution as she passes away having reestablished contact with Liam and given him a home again, and with the sense that she will soon be reunited with her beloved late husband.