Wild Eyes

“I’m going to record my own album. And I’m not going to tell a single soul about it. I don’t want their input. I don’t want their opinions. This project will be by me, for me. I am desperate for a fresh start. Desperate for a change of scenery. Desperate to escape the chokehold my life has on me.”

Skylar’s assertive narrative tone conveys her desire to make a new start for herself. She states what she will do in the future using the imperative tense—a grammatical mood that captures her determination despite her recent vocational setbacks. Similarly, her use of anaphora—starting the latter two lines with the same opening word—underscores the urgency she feels to make a life for herself and to reimagine her identity.

“The sight instantly soothes my nerves. It exudes the lived-in cozy that I’ve only seen in movies. My steps slow as I take in the white-painted wood and the exposed redbrick chimney that has mortar squishing out from between each block. Charming rust-colored shingles cover the roof.”

Skylar’s response to West’s house and property foreshadow the role that this rustic setting will play in her internal development. As her bone-deep reaction demonstrates, West’s home feels welcoming and comforting to Skylar, and its cozy atmosphere grants her immediate peace of mind. The novel uses this moment to convey the idea that a peaceful environment can positively influence the psyche.

“Now that I’ve left, there’s this little part of me that doesn’t want to go back at all. Ever. The constant exercise, primping, practice… it all exhausts me. Sure, it makes my performances better for the fans—and I do love my fans. But I miss just singing. For fun. In the shower. In the car. As I tidy my house. I’ve lost the simple pleasure of those moments.”

Skylar’s internal monologue illustrates the nuances of her internal world. In this moment, Skylar is comparing and contrasting her old life in LA to her current life in Rose Hill, and she realizes that she has lost the “simple pleasure” of life amidst the glitz and glamor of fame. By shifting her setting, she is forced to reevaluate her identity and past experiences. Whenever she is in LA, her focus is on performing her public persona, but in Rose Hill, she feels closer to rediscovering what she wants and reclaiming happiness on her own terms.

“‘Want me to carry you out of here too?’ I ask, hoping to lighten the mood. Her responding laugh is thin. ‘No.’ She glances around her. She left her shoes at the front door. ‘No, I’m okay.’ She says the words but still makes no move to get up. Crossing a room littered in glass shards with bare feet will be a challenge.”

West’s and Skylar’s contrasting responses to the broken glass in the kitchen provide insight into their backgrounds and temperaments. While West makes light of the situation by joking, Skylar becomes tense with the expectation that he will punish his daughter just as Skylar herself was once punished for making mistakes. The image of the broken glass is symbolic of Skylar’s internal state, while her response to the accident shows her traumatized state of mind.

“I lean back against the counter and watch as she glances thoughtfully around the space. It gives me a moment to figure out what to tell her. Because I’m not that talented and everything about my public persona is carefully crafted to make you think I’m a lot cooler than I am probably isn’t the answer she’s after. ‘There are a lot of gifted songwriters who help me with that’ is what I settle on.”

The disparity between Skylar’s thoughts and her dialogue conveys the mirroring disparity that she feels between her authentic identity and her public persona. She wants to be honest with Emmy, but she isn’t sure how to express her true feelings without shame, so she crafts a more palatable response to Emmy’s question, hiding her true feelings. This passage captures the work that Skylar has yet to do on her Journey Toward Self-Acceptance.

“When I finally brave a look up at West, he has a soft smile on his face. And a slightly sad glint in his eye. I see it. Pity. And that douses the flames I felt just moments ago. He pities me. How could he not? I spilled my guts to him and kissed him. Latched on to him like he could be a comfort blanket for me. A comfort blanket with big fucking hands and the world’s roundest ass. And now I’d like to dig myself a hole in this dirt path, crawl in, and die.”

When Skylar impulsively kisses West in the early days of their acquaintance, the moment only intensifies her self-doubt. She obsesses over West’s physical and facial responses to the kiss because she has learned to please others. Her insecurities are also reflected in the “sad glint in his eye,” which she perceives as evidence that he feels sorry for her. When she imagines burying herself in a hole in the ground, Silver uses this cartoonish image to convey the depths of her fear that her vulnerability will always be met with scorn or dismissal.

“I may be single, but it’s not because I make a habit of putting my foot in my mouth around women. It’s because I can’t quite bring myself to settle down. Don’t especially want to bring someone new into the fold with my kids either.”

In this passage, West’s attraction to Skylar compels him to reflect on his relationship history and his family situation. West doesn’t immediately act on his feelings for Skylar because he is used to putting his kids’ feelings and needs before his own. In this passage, he vacillates between thinking about himself and considering his kids, and these internal shifts capture the complicated nature of his life with Emmy and Oliver.

“No, no. It’s like… I think if you’re going to be in a solid relationship with someone, you need to be friends on some level. Like… enjoy each other’s company. You know? My parents are solid that way. They bicker with each other, but at the end of the day, there’s no one they’d rather bicker with. Ford and Rosie are the same. Those two were peas in a pod before they even realized they were in the same pod.”

West speaks in an open, honest, and conversational manner when he opens up to Skylar about his relationships. He argues that friendship is the base for a solid, sustainable romantic relationship. He uses fragmentation, ellipses, and questions throughout this passage of dialogue—stylistic choices that illustrate his attempt to work through his thoughts as he speaks. He isn’t trying to disguise his viewpoint or experience; instead, he vocalizes his opinions in a heartfelt, genuine manner.

“And you are staying within walking distance of where you plan to do that work. Private property to private property, so no paparazzi. I’m sure you have a laptop, so if you’re really desperate for a fix, you’ll get it. You’re addicted. But I dare you to spend a week away from subjecting yourself to the opinions of random people who don’t know you. See how you feel.”

West throws away Skylar’s phone in an attempt to liberate her from her anxiety, then uses a direct, bold tone to discuss the incident, conveying his genuine investment in Skylar’s mental and emotional well-being. By reminding her that she has physical distance from her overwhelming celebrity lifestyle in the city, he also lets her know that she has the power to change her circumstances if she tries.

“My week off is miserable. My plans to fill it with work and people and business goes up in smoke before my eyes. Instead, it’s dark and sad and somehow deeply necessary. It makes me realize I’ve spent almost no time alone in my life. Just me, with my thoughts and feelings as my only company.”

Skylar’s meditations on her alone time contribute to her Journey Toward Self-Acceptance and The Pursuit of Happiness. While she initially feels “miserable” and “sad” on her own, she also acknowledges that solitude is “deeply necessary” and gives her the chance to sit with her “thoughts and feelings” for the first time. She doesn’t have the usual “work and people and business” to distract her from her needs and desires and thus becomes attuned to her internal world.

“His arms still, and he studies me as we float on the dark water. His attention is too heavy, so I tip my head back and pretend to be especially interested in the milky blanket of stars overhead. I breathe in. I breathe out. I try to escape that creeping sense of dread that fills me anytime I let myself think about going back on the road.”

Skylar and West’s late-night canoe outing puts Skylar in a vulnerable situation. She and West are floating “on the dark water” under “the milky blanket of stars,” and these environmental details evoke notions of quiet, peace, and safety. Because Skylar is in a new and unfamiliar setting, she can emotionally work through her anxiety instead of getting upset when she starts to think or talk about her celebrity life.

“I watch them across the table, both wedged in beside her like they want to be close to her too. Like they’re just as inexplicably attached as I am. It’s new and foreign and…right. That’s why I stare straight into her amber irises and say, ‘Stay.’”

Skylar’s relationship with Emmy and Oliver intensifies West’s attraction to Skylar. West is surprised by how connected Skylar, Emmy, and Oliver have become so early in Skylar’s time at Rose Hill—but this connection moves him rather than scaring him. His kids’ body language echoes his own feelings, authenticating what he wants and how he sees Skylar. The image of Skylar wedged between the kids also symbolizes love, home, and belonging.

“‘This is your album. Your call. I know when we talked last week, you didn’t seem keen on it. I’m not going to force you to do anything you’re not on board with.’ That sentiment strikes a heavy blow. No producer has ever said that to me before. I watch them, shimmying my shoulders as I straighten. I feel more in control of my destiny every day. This is my album. This is my career. This is my call.”

Ford Grant’s genuine investment in Skylar’s new album inspires her to believe in herself. His steady presence also contributes to her Journey Toward Self-Acceptance, for he encourages her ambitions and talents, challenging and motivating her in ways her previous producers haven’t. For these reasons, the tone of Skylar’s internal monologue with Ford’s encouragement.

“My hands reach for her under the covers, and hers reach back for me. We spend the night naked and tangled up in each other. Clinging to one another. And I don’t know how it happened so quickly, so out of the blue, but Skylar feels integral to me. It’s inexplicable—cellular. All I know is that she and I were meant to meet on that road.”

The author uses vivid imagery to illustrate West and Skylar’s deepening attachment to each other. The image of West and Skylar physically “tangled up in each other” echoes the “integral,” “inexplicable,” nature of their emotional connection. Likewise, the word “cellular” implies that they are meant to be together on a level that is so fundamental to their existence that it simply cannot be questioned.

“He leaves me sitting here, slack-jawed. I know we were talking about the horse, but I can’t help but feel a kinship with her somehow. I was a nervous wreck when I got here too. And West soothed me. Never pushed me too far. Always made me feel better about myself, never worse. God, he’s treated me with such love.”

Talking to West about his horses leads Skylar to experience a personal revelation about their relationship. She notices how kind, gentle, and patient West is with his horses and understands that he has treated her in a similarly gracious manner. Her internal monologue thus conveys West’s innately loving and giving nature, illustrating his love for her even before he has professed his love explicitly.

“The fragile woman who showed up here all those weeks ago is nothing more than a memory. My chest swells with pride. But I also realize I’ve loved every iteration of this woman. The terrified one on the highway. The frantic one in the bunkhouse. The introspective one at the beach. The jealous one at the fair. And the one who’s looking at me right now like she wants to eat me alive.”

West’s first-person narration provides insight into his feelings for Skylar. He reflects on his and Skylar’s relationship and realizes how profoundly Skylar has changed since she came to Rose Hill. His private thoughts capture the comprehensive, unconditional nature of his feelings for Skylar while fueling the novel’s explorations of The Transformative Power of Love and Community. West doesn’t simply love Skylar because she is famous and beautiful; instead, he loves her because she is complicated and because he has watched her grow.

“A Billboard Music Award nomination for the new single. A nomination for something all my own. Something made with joy. And we haven’t even released the entire album. This is just the first song of many. The most special one.”

Skylar’s song, “Photosynthesis,” symbolizes her newfound ability to claim who she is without shame. She is proud of herself for earning the award nomination for the new hit single because she has created something true to herself. The song and nomination capture the progress that she has made along her Journey Toward Self-Acceptance and her Pursuit of Happiness. Doing what she loves purely for herself has made her feel valuable, beautiful, and content.

“It’s more perfect than ever. When the tires hit the gravel driveway, I sigh and melt back into the town car’s leather seat. Home. Sure, I stayed at a house I own in Los Angeles, but this? This is home.”

Leaving and returning to Rose Hill makes Skylar realize that she belongs with West and his family in their rural, country hometown. She feels comforted and peaceful when she drives back into Rose Hill, and this feeling makes her realize that the place has become her refuge. This passage reiterates the setting’s symbolic significance and shows that Skylar’s sense of place has changed since she originally left LA.

“There’s a distance that I can’t figure out how to bridge. I don’t mean to be punishing him. His hugs, his gentle touches, and his reassuring words, they… they don’t match the way I’m talking to myself on the inside. And I’m back to feeling like there’s a part of me that believes I don’t deserve his brand of kindness. His brand of unwavering love.”

The photo scandal complicates how Skylar sees herself and her relationship with West. The photos symbolize exposure and shame and thus undermine the emotional work that Skylar has done. Ultimately, they are a reminder of who she was in LA. In this scene, she is experiencing an emotional reversion that causes her to pull away from West’s “hugs, his gentle touches, and his reassuring words.” The passage introduces another conflict in Skylar’s storyline and challenges her to remember The Transformative Power of Love and Community and to accept herself despite what others might say about her.

“Rosie sits up and looks me in the eye. ‘Skylar, you have done more in your young life than most people accomplish before they die. How much money do you need to live comfortably? Happily?’”

Rosalie’s unvarnished advice and steady support contribute to Skylar’s Journey Toward Self-Acceptance and her Pursuit of Happiness. In this scene, Rosalie addresses Skylar in a forthright manner, encouraging her to acknowledge her accomplishments and take pride in herself. She also empowers Skylar to fight for what she really needs and wants in order to work toward a happy, meaningful future. Rosalie therefore acts as an archetypal guide at this point in Skylar’s journey.

“This place is sacred. Don’t let me sully it. I’ve traveled the entire world and seen nowhere more beautiful. I want it to stay that way. You and Rose Hill, exactly the way I imagine them—fucking perfect.”

Skylar’s misguided decision to leave Rose Hill is inspired by her fear and shame. In this moment, she is convinced that the photo scandal and her tenuous public reputation will compromise West and his kids’ lives in Rose Hill. Her self-doubt causes her to momentarily forget the love that she has experienced here, and she allows her insecurity to compromise her future. The moment fulfills the common trope of the “third-act breakup” and foreshadows West’s later decision to bring Skylar back to Rose Hill in order to remind her that she is a part of what makes Rose Hill “beautiful” and “perfect.”

“Am I horrified you’d invite me here, then ask me to explain myself on national television as though I’ve done something wrong? I am not a scandal. I’m a victim of a despicable breach of my privacy. I’ve been violated, and you want me to explain myself?”

Skylar’s bold and assertive tone during her television interview illustrates her internal growth, for she no longer has any hesitation about naming this injustice for what it is. By claiming her story in her own words without shame, she is refusing to cower in the face of the media’s interrogation. Her newfound courage conveys her unwillingness to sacrifice her personal growth, and she is no longer willing to uphold a fraudulent public persona.

“It’s taken me a long time to accept that I deserve that kind of happiness. That what the media says about me isn’t actually who I am. I’ve only recently felt empowered enough to write my music and produce an album—shout-out to Ford Grant and his daughter, Cora, both of whom are endlessly kind and talented—that I am proud of from start to finish. It’s with this sense of pride that I have finally come to realize what I will and will not stand for in my life.”

Skylar’s award acceptance speech offers her another opportunity to articulate her feelings, experiences, and story in her own words. She acknowledges the pain that she has undergone and gives credence to those who have helped her. By declaring who she is and what she wants, she is claiming the “kind of happiness” that she deserves and the “sense of pride” that she now feels in herself.