In the Likely Event

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses domestic abuse and mental health conditions, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which feature in the source text.

Isabeau “Izzy” Astor is the female protagonist of the novel. She is only 18 when the novel begins, but because her parents have been largely absent, forcing her and her sister Serena to look after themselves, she is mature for her age. This maturity allows Izzy to travel independently and to live alone with confidence. The only real hints of her relative inexperience with the world occur when she reveals a deep fear of flying. Yet despite this phobia and her fear of abandonment, Izzy overcomes her fears and develops new coping mechanisms to mitigate their effects.

Izzy’s relationship with Nate begins when she is first attending college. The relationship continues over the next 10 years, showing Izzy’s considerable character growth as she graduates from college and then from law school. Her maturity only continues to grow more pronounced as she faces difficult moments in her life, such as the continued indifference of her parents, the dangerous assignments that her sister takes as a photojournalist, and her attempts at developing committed relationships with various men.