50 pages • 1 hour read
Sally HepworthThe Mother-in-Law
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Lucy Goodwin
Once a successful recruiter, Lucy Goodwin leaves behind her career to pursue her dream of being a stay-at-home mother when she marries her husband, Ollie Goodwin. The daughter of a professor and a devoted mother, Lucy suffered the tragic loss of her mother at age 13. This loss fuels Lucy’s unyielding commitment to raising her family. The death of her complicated mother-in-law Diana Goodwin changes the course of Lucy’s life as she begins to question her life’s purpose.
A stylish and unique dresser, Lucy loves to wear bold prints and colors. An outsider to her husband's family’s wealthy and demure world, Lucy struggles to adapt to life as a Goodwin. Longing for a maternal figure, Lucy attempts to connect with Diana throughout the years and forge a deeper bond. Unfortunately, Diana’s cold demeanor and judgmental attitude drive Lucy to confront her mother-in-law in a violent push that threatens to tear the family apart. Eventually, the two women find a connection through their shared journey through grief. Through their newfound connection, Lucy learns the value of Diana’s tough lessons and evolves into a more independent and fulfilled version of herself when she returns to work to create a recruitment agency for refugees.
Diana Goodwin
Described as cold, Diana Goodwin maintains a strict adherence to her belief in the power of self-reliance. Unlike other mothers of her generation, Diana refuses to cater to the demands of her children and strives to build character in them by forcing them into adversity. Diana’s traumatic history as a young unwed mother ostracized by her family inspires her parenting philosophy. Through the death of her beloved husband Tom, Diana discovers her strength in vulnerability and learns what is truly worth living for: human connection.
A philanthropist, Diana dedicates her time to helping pregnant refugee women. Inspired by her own experiences and triumph over adversity, Diana values hard work. As someone who struggles with communication, Diana hides her past from her family. Her distance from her family leads to years of conflict with her children, who struggle to feel supported by Diana. The loss of Tom isolates Diana even further from her family and threatens to end her life completely as she begins secretly to pursue voluntary euthanasia. In her grief, Diana finds solace in the unexpected source of support from her daughter-in-law Lucy whose strength reminds Diana of herself. Diana slowly becomes more vulnerable with Lucy and recognizes the love and connection that offer her hope in the aftermath of Tom’s death. Through Lucy’s support, Diana renews her dedication to living. Unfortunately, before she can start over, she faces the consequences of her neglect when her mentally ill daughter Nettie suffocates her.
Ghezala
Ghezala serves as a bridge between Diana and Lucy. A young refugee woman from Afghanistan, Ghezala forms an intimate friendship with Diana that allows Diana to share the full history of her past. As a representation of incredible strength in the face of adversity, Ghezala connects with Diana’s history of adversity. Diana confesses, “I’m more comfortable with Ghezala than many other people” (293). At the funeral, Ghezala helps Lucy understand Diana more deeply by highlighting Diana’s fierce commitment to her philanthropic work. Though they do not meet until Diana’s funeral, Hepworth forges the connection between Ghezala and Lucy earlier in the novel. Both Ghezala and Lucy give birth on the same day. Diana aids Ghezala’s home birth and arrives late to the birth of her first grandchild. As mothers, the three women understand the complexities of motherhood and recognize each other’s strengths. In the last chapter, Lucy reveals that Ghezala brings Ollie and Lucy into Diana’s charity, leading to their recruitment agency's creation. Through Ghezala, Lucy finds a renewed life’s purpose inspired by Diana’s influence.
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