Richard and Chloe were in middle school by then and still too young to drive, and so for a while there they had had these years, these precious years when the children were now old enough to talk to them as adults and yet still young enough to be controlled. It was a funny time, she’d realize later, a time that she thought about with both fondness and regret.
Introduction
Andrew Porter’s In Between Days is a contemplative and intricately crafted exploration of a fractured family navigating through a series of personal and collective crises. Published in 2012, this novel digs deeply into the nuanced emotional dynamics of a family as they grapple with loss, betrayal, and the harsh realization that their idealized notions of happiness and stability may be irretrievably lost. Through his subtle yet powerful prose, Porter unravels a poignant narrative about the complexity of familial bonds, the weight of past decisions, and the uncertainty of future reconciliation.
In In Between Days, Porter skillfully dissects the lives of each member of the Harding family, unveiling their vulnerabilities and inner struggles as they confront a pivotal moment in their lives. This review offers a critical analysis of the novel, discussing its plot, themes, and overall impact. We will explore how the novel uses the dynamics of a broken family to probe larger questions about identity, belonging, and the tension between personal freedom and responsibility.
Synopsis
The story centers around the Harding family, a once well-to-do family from Houston that is now grappling with significant emotional and relational distance. The parents, Elson and Cadence Harding, are recently divorced after decades of marriage. Elson, the patriarch, has moved out of the family home and is struggling to adapt to his new, more isolated life. A disillusioned architect, he is caught in a web of professional dissatisfaction and personal regret. Cadence, on the other hand, is trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy in the family home, despite the unresolved tension from her failed marriage.
Their children, Richard and Chloe, are young adults, each dealing with their own set of problems. Richard, the eldest, is detached and withdrawn, seeking solace in his art and living a largely solitary life. Chloe, the more rebellious and troubled sibling, is at the center of the novel’s conflict. She has been expelled from her college in the Northeast for reasons that remain unclear initially but are gradually revealed to be connected to a protest incident that turned violent.
Chloe's return home acts as a catalyst, forcing the Harding family to confront the various unresolved tensions that have been simmering beneath the surface for years. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that each member of the family is struggling with feelings of displacement, emotional numbness, and an inability to move forward in their lives. The novel focuses less on external events and more on the inner lives of the characters, weaving a tapestry of personal introspection, regret, and fleeting moments of connection.
Thematic Analysis
At its core, In Between Days is a novel about transition, the liminal spaces in life where individuals find themselves suspended between the past and the future, between what was and what might be. Porter deftly explores this theme on both individual and familial levels, using the Hardings’ emotional stagnation as a microcosm for the uncertainty and in-betweenness that define contemporary life. The novel’s title itself reflects this theme, suggesting a period of suspension, a moment when life is neither here nor there, but somewhere in between.
1. Family and Disconnection
One of the most prominent themes in In Between Days is the breakdown of family structure and the emotional disconnection that follows. Each member of the Harding family is profoundly isolated, both physically and emotionally, from one another. The parents, Elson and Cadence, are estranged, no longer able to communicate in a meaningful way after their divorce. Their children, Richard and Chloe, are similarly cut off from one another, existing in their own worlds of alienation and detachment. Porter uses this familial disconnection to explore the deeper emotional fractures that develop in relationships over time, suggesting that the erosion of familial bonds can happen gradually and subtly, often without the individuals involved fully realizing it.
This theme is particularly evident in the character of Elson, whose inability to connect with his children post-divorce speaks to a larger sense of helplessness. Elson feels disconnected not only from his family but also from himself and his life’s trajectory. His professional dissatisfaction mirrors his personal failure, leaving him in a liminal state where he struggles to reclaim any sense of purpose.
2. Identity and Self-Discovery
Another central theme of the novel is the search for identity and the painful process of self-discovery. Each character is in the midst of a personal identity crisis. Chloe’s expulsion from college and the subsequent scandal surrounding her involvement in a violent protest lead her to question her purpose and future. Her rebelliousness, however, appears more as a cry for direction than a genuine ideological stance. Throughout the novel, Chloe grapples with understanding who she is outside the expectations of her family and society, symbolizing the broader search for identity that often accompanies young adulthood.
Richard, though quieter and less outwardly rebellious than his sister, is also engaged in an internal struggle to understand himself. His solitary existence and retreat into art reflect his desire to distance himself from the chaos of his family, yet his art becomes a means of grappling with his own sense of alienation and loneliness. In the Harding family, each person’s sense of self is fragile, constructed on shaky foundations that are gradually dismantled as the novel progresses.
3. The Passage of Time and Regret
Porter’s novel is also steeped in the theme of time and the accompanying sense of regret that often comes with it. Much of the novel’s emotional weight comes from the characters’ reflections on the past—their missed opportunities, failed relationships, and choices that have led them to their current state of discontent. Elson, in particular, is haunted by memories of his marriage to Cadence, and the novel frequently shifts back in time to explore key moments in their relationship. These flashbacks serve to underscore the theme of regret, showing how the characters are trapped by their past decisions and unable to fully move forward.
Time in In Between Days is fluid and nonlinear, echoing the characters’ emotional states. The novel’s structure mirrors the disjointedness of their lives, with past and present bleeding into one another. The "in-between" days of the title thus refer not only to the liminal spaces between major life events but also to the way in which the characters are stuck between their memories and their futures, unable to reconcile the two.
4. Alienation and the Modern World
Porter’s portrayal of alienation is not confined to the family unit but extends to broader societal concerns. The novel subtly critiques the isolating nature of contemporary life, where individuals are increasingly disconnected from one another despite being more "connected" than ever. This theme is reflected in the characters' interactions—or lack thereof—with technology, as they navigate a world where communication has become fragmented and impersonal. Richard's immersion in his art can be seen as a metaphor for how people retreat into their own worlds as a way to cope with the overwhelming complexity and disconnection of modern society.
Conclusion
Andrew Porter’s In Between Days is a powerful and poignant meditation on family, identity, and the uncertainties of modern life. With its understated yet emotionally resonant prose, the novel captures the complexities of human relationships and the ways in which individuals struggle to reconcile their inner lives with the world around them. Porter’s exploration of the liminal spaces in life—the periods of waiting, reflection, and uncertainty—feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.
The novel ultimately leaves readers with more questions than answers, mirroring the uncertainty that pervades the characters’ lives. Yet it is this very ambiguity that makes In Between Days such a compelling read. It forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths about our own lives, the relationships we take for granted, and the choices we make that shape our futures. Through the lens of the Harding family, Porter shows us that the in-between days are not just moments of transition, but opportunities for growth, understanding, and, potentially, reconciliation.