Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood, and Norma Jean flexed

This story is pretty sad, but I was enraptured the entire time.

One of the main elements I picked up from the story was the gender roles, and the role reversal of the two main characters. Norma Jean works out, learns in school, and is constantly looking for the new and available. Whereas Leroy is sensitive, sentimental, and he grieves more openly. 
This couple went through an awful trial at a young age, losing their young child. Now, at 34, they are just now learning that this wasn't the only way they think differently. There was a lot of unhappiness within their marriage, and I think it was because there wasn't the affection or the love that comes. I can only imagine that Norma Jean grew bitter as she was the one who became the bred winner and the one who is active.

I thought the characters were crucial to the story line. Obviously, but even more so in this story because there was so much depth and thinking about their issues and the problems in their marriage. The reader got to psychoanalyze what they liked, thought about, and what was going to happen. And for someone who lives for psychoanalyzing relationship drama (hello bachelor nation), I think I enjoyed this a little too much.

#teamNormaJane

I think one of the overarching themes in this story is how when tragedy occurs some people grow and some people die. Everyone grieves differently, and this is how the two adjusted. Just from learning that Leroy was out of work and coming in on Norma Jean working out, there was just this tension that spread throughout the story. I thought the author did a great job illustrating the strain of the marriage without giving it away of just how unhappy Norma Jean was.

I also thought that it was biased in the 3rd person perspective of Leroy, but it gave the reader better clarity to the way he thought and how he was so feminine.