“Everyone thinks it was because of the snow. And in a way, I suppose that’s true”

The opening lines of the novel foreshadow the light dusting of snow—a rarity in Oregon—that fell the morning of the accident that claimed the lives of Mia’s mom, dad, and younger brother. While it is implied that the snow led to school being cancelled, the ill-fated family outing, and the dangerous road conditions that caused the accident, the phrase “in a way” suggests that this is only a partial or incomplete truth. Like the novel more generally, Mia’s words here illustrate of the fact that there is rarely singular single root cause for any pivotal event. Like Mia’s decision to become a professional cellist or her father’s decision to leave the music profession for his family, the circumstances of people’s lives are the results of multiple choices and seemingly random events. Life, the novel suggests, is a combination of chance and choice in one contradictory package.

“School’s out forever”

This is an example of foreshadowing in the novel. The words are lyrics from Alice Cooper’s iconic song, “School’s Out For Summer,” they are also ironic here, as Mia’s father, a school teacher, and his son, an elementary school student, will be killed that morning in a car accident.