The Wrong Family

Content Warning: This section of the guide references substance use disorders and kidnapping.

The Crouches’ house is more than just the center of most of the action of the novel: It is also a symbol of safety and rest for Juno, of perfection for Winnie, and of The Weight of Secrets within the novel as a whole. Juno, who is unhoused and seriously ill with lupus, sees the house on Turlin Street as an ideal place to live. She’s fascinated by the ties that bind the Crouch family and begins to follow them. Once in the house, she quickly finds that it provides all she needs to live a better life. She can be safe out of the elements, find pain medication to ease the symptoms of her illness, have access to bathrooms and laundry facilities, and eat plenty of food. Even the Crouches’ nearby presence is a boon, as it allows her to indulge her obsessive curiosity. The way in which she insinuates herself into the Crouches’ home comes to symbolize the way in which she insinuates herself into other people’s lives.

For Winnie, the house represents the perfect life she is attempting to build. It is spacious, well furnished, and perfectly decorated, and Winnie makes sure that only healthy food is available in the refrigerator and keeps everything in good order.