The End We Start From

Although baby C is frightened of the boat and miserable throughout the journey, Z enjoys the water, and the narrator bonds further with her baby and enjoys his company on the boat. Upon arriving at the island, they meet O’s friend, H, his wife, F, and their children, B and W. The narrator marvels at the children, who are “much, much older than Z. They are a different species” (71). She finds it impossible to imagine that Z will one day reach those same stages of development, even as he experiences new milestones on the island such as his first tooth.

Over the next few months, they adapt to life on the island, finding a sense of normalcy on a personal level and as an unconventional blended family. O and the narrator teach the older children how to care for babies. They help H and F cultivate a garden, and the four adults divide household chores between them. Although they do not have electricity or internet access, they find comfort in the simplicity of living without the news or the anxieties of modern city life.