Liars: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains depictions of suicidal ideation, emotional abuse, sexual content, illness, death, mental illness, substance use, and gender discrimination.

Jane and John move to Los Angeles; John works long hours at Cloudberry, and Jane offers private tutoring. During one tutoring session, John interrupts and takes over, and Jane ignores the event. John and Jane also compete to lend a neighbor a screwdriver, and the neighbor tells Jane she used both screwdrivers an equal amount.

Jane’s father tells her that she shouldn’t be so low on John’s priority list. She teaches John how to sort his mail, and he backs out of a house party at the last minute. Jane breaks John’s favorite mug, then cleans up the mess. Jane’s friend Eben advises Jane to keep moving forward. Although Jane is unhappy, she perseveres because she doesn’t know any other married woman who is happier than her.

John and Jane plan a Christmas trip with John’s mother, Eve, who is in cancer remission. Later, John says he feels bad for their unsettled state, then he gets drunk and talks about his debt and Cloudberry’s struggle. Jane briefly thinks she would leave John if she had the energy, but she ignores the thought.