No Two Persons: A Novel

Erica Bauermeister’s novel No Two Persons is a novel in stories published in 2023. The novel is divided into three sections, each of which contains a series of titled chapters. Though each chapter can function as an individual narrative, the disparate storylines are connected via subtle contextual clues presented across the novel. Each chapter traces the life of one of the book’s 10 central characters: Alice Wein, Lara, Rowan, Miranda, Tyler, Nola, Kit, William, Juliet, and Madeline Armstrong, respectively. Though they all come from different backgrounds and have different dreams, the third-person narrator gradually reveals that the 10 unique characters are connected by mysterious forces. Alice’s novel, Theo, is one such force of connection and unification between Bauermeister’s diverse cast of characters. They may live in different cities, states, and regions, but Theo finds all 10 characters exactly when they need it. Bauermeister’s subversive approach to language, structure, and form enacts the novel’s central thematic explorations of Story as a Form of Connection, Books as Escape and Deliverance, and Literature as a Pathway to Healing.

This guide refers to the 2023 St. Martin’s Press hardback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source text deals with issues including child abuse, death by suicide, addiction, and mental and terminal illness.

Plot Summary

Part 1, Chapter 1, “Maine 2010, The Writer,” focuses on the novelist Alice Wein. Alice has wanted to write a novel since she was a little girl. At age 18, she leaves home to study literature and writing at an unnamed college in Maine, where she meets Professor Roberts, who recognizes her talent but tells her she needs to learn to write with empathy for both her characters and her readers.

Alice learns that her older brother, Peter, has died of an overdose. She returns home to the West Coast for his funeral. After returning to Maine, she drops out of school and takes up swimming to escape her sorrow. In the pool one day, she comes up with the idea for a new story.

Over the following months, Alice writes her first novel: Theo. After several publishing houses reject the manuscript, Professor Roberts suggests that Alice send Theo to his friend Madeline Armstrong, a New York literary agent. Alice is nervous but sends her the manuscript anyway.

Chapter 2, “New York City 2010, The Assistant,” tells the story of Lara, a new mother living in New York City. She’s been an assistant for Madeline for several years. When Lara got pregnant, Madeline allowed her to work freelance.

After Lara settles her baby, she opens a new manuscript: Theo. The story captivates her. She’s convinced Theo will be a bestseller.

Chapter 3, “British Columbia 2011, The Actor,” centers Rowan, an actor in the midst of an unexpected second career as an audiobook narrator.

Rowan’s life in the narrative present was unplanned. After a promising start as a movie actor, Rowan left Hollywood because of a skin condition, convinced it would compromise his work.

In Canada, Rowan found work narrating audiobooks. His favorite project is narrating Alice’s Theo. The story moves him in unexpected ways.

Part 2 has only a single, short chapter, titled “The Internet” that is comprised of several online reviews of Theo. The reviews are mixed, with some praising the novel’s emotional power and others dismissing it as trite and sentimental.

Part 3, Chapter 1, “Washington State 2012, The Artist,” focuses on Miranda, a young artist living in Washington State. Miranda has been establishing herself as an independent woman since leaving her home and mother in New York. Her mother is a high-powered businesswoman whose ideals contrast with those of Miranda, who values creative freedom over money.

Miranda creates a new sculpture. She uses the pages of Theo, the book her mother mailed her, to complete the statue.

Chapter 2, “Florida 2013, The Diver,” centers Tyler, a former competitive diver living alone in Florida. His girlfriend, Saylor, left him after his recent diving accident. Saylor realized she couldn’t heal Tyler physically or emotionally. She understood that Tyler loved swimming and diving. However, these obsessions were endangering his life.

After Saylor leaves, Tyler notices that she has left behind a novel, Theo. The novel resonates with him.

Chapter 3, “Northern California 2014, The Teenager,” tells the story of Nola, a teenager living in California. Nola has had a difficult life since her father died in a car accident. After his death, Nola’s mother began to experience depression. Then, one day, she left Nola without warning.

Nola has been living in a shed on her school’s property since her mother’s disappearance. She lies in her sleeping bag and reads every night. Her favorite new book is Theo.

When Nola’s English teacher, Ms. Hildegrand, discovers Nola’s circumstances, she invites Nola to babysit in exchange for room and board. The offer changes how Nola sees her life.

In Chapter 4, “Maine 2016, The Bookseller,” Kit works at a bookstore in a small Maine town, where he loves sharing books with others. His girlfriend, Annalise, is the first woman who hasn’t judged him for his job. However, when Kit meets Alice and reads Theo, he realizes he and Annalise aren’t meant to be.

Chapter 5, “Northeastern California, 2017, The Caretaker,” introduces William, a 62-year-old former civil engineer who feels unmoored after the recent death of his wife, Abigail. Overcome by grief, he tries to start a new life. He leaves his California hometown after selling his house and takes a job as the caretaker of a ghost town.

While snowed in at the ghost town, William discovers Abigail’s books among his things. He enjoys reading Theo and discovering Abigail’s annotations in the margins.

Chapter 6, “Southern California 2018, The Coordinator,” introduces Juliet’s character. Juliet is married to Richard and has a daughter. Juliet works as an intimacy coordinator, choreographing sex scenes.

On the flight home from a shoot in Paris, Juliet listens to the audiobook of Theo on her phone. Theo ignites her memories and makes her question her marriage. After she returns home, reunites with her family, and finishes the book, she realizes that her life is better than she thought and that happiness requires effort.

Chapter 7, “New York City 2019, The Agent,” centers Madeline, the head of the literary agency Lara works for in Part 1, Chapter 2. Madeline falls and injures her wrist. At the doctor’s, she learns she has a brain condition that will end her life. She decides to sort through her books before she dies and hires Nola to help with the project. The two form a connection.

One day, Nola finds Madeline lying on the floor, disoriented. Madeline begs Nola not to call the ambulance. Nola stays with her until she dies.

In the Epilogue, Alice attends Madeline’s memorial service. Alice retreats from the reception, lost in her thoughts. When she discovers an image of Miranda’s sculpture in a book, Alice thinks of a new story idea. The revelation lets her reconcile with Theo’s evolution.