The House at the End of the World

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses child sexual abuse and murder.

Katie is the 36-year-old protagonist of The House at the End of the World. She is an artist who loves poetry, classical music, and good food; she is also alone in the world, having lost her entire family to murder. At the beginning of the novel, Katie is obsessed with this tragedy, painting versions of the scene of the murder over and over again. She relishes being alone and relying on her strength and capability to fend for herself, but she feels great distrust toward the rest of humanity, specifically authorities of any kind. As such, she’s created a fully self-sustaining life on Jacob’s Ladder, believing that “only nature, quiet, and time for reflection can heal her. If she can be healed” (8). This establishes an internal conflict that resolves by the end of the novel.

As the crisis on Ringrock spills over onto Jacob’s Ladder, however, Katie is forced into relationships with others. She realizes how much she’s cut herself off from the world in response to her family tragedy and feels sad that she isn’t fully living to fulfill her promise to her dead husband.