Who is Althea?

Althea Burnside, like many women we’ve known, is looking for love and success and failing miserably.  She thinks she understands herself but this comment from Althea says a lot about where she is at the beginning of the book.  To set the stage, Althea and her boyfriend Mark are about to move in together.  This is something she has wanted and has worked to make happen. As the big day approaches, she says:  “I was going to Philly yesterday and the toll taker on the Ben Franklin Bridge really pissed me off.  Here I was thinking about the big move and he says ‘Come on; smile.  It can’t be that bad.’  I felt like shutting the window on his hand.  I hate people like that.  For all he knew I could have just found out that I have cancer and I only have three months to live. Did I really look that miserable?  How could it be when things are finally going right for me.” She is forced to face this kind of self-deception when she meets Joel Finnigan, whom we’ll talk about next time.