Before We Were Innocent Summary, Characters and Themes
Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman is a gripping, character-driven thriller that dives deep into the complexities of female friendship, betrayal, and the scars left by tragic events. Set against the backdrop of a sun-soaked Greek summer, the novel intricately weaves past and present, unraveling the story of three friends whose lives are forever altered by a devastating accident.
As secrets and lies come to light a decade later, Bess Winter, the protagonist, must confront the haunting memories of that fateful summer and the dark truths that have shaped her life since.
Summary
Before We Were Innocent follows Bess Winter, who narrates her story through alternating timelines: the summer of 2008, a period of carefree youth marred by tragedy, and 2018, when the past comes back to haunt her. Bess, Joni Bonnier, and Evangeline Aetos are three close friends who, after graduating high school, embark on what they hope will be a dream vacation to Greece.
However, their idyllic getaway takes a dark turn when Evangeline falls from a cliff in Mykonos, a fatal accident that leaves Bess and Joni under suspicion of murder.
The novel begins with Bess and her family relocating from Sussex, England, to the affluent community of Calabasas, California, where her mother has secured a teaching position.
Feeling out of place among her wealthy new peers, Bess forms a tight-knit bond with the outgoing Joni and the introspective Evangeline.
When Evangeline invites her friends to spend the summer at her family’s home in Greece, the girls eagerly accept, eager to savor their final moments together before heading off to separate colleges.
The initial weeks in Greece are blissful, filled with sun-soaked days and laughter. However, cracks begin to appear in the trio’s relationship as Bess and Joni grow increasingly frustrated with Evangeline’s controlling behavior and condescending attitude.
The two girls begin to bond over their shared irritation, secretly mocking Evangeline and daydreaming about escaping her overbearing presence. Meanwhile, Bess develops a romantic interest in Evangeline’s brother, Theo, further straining the group’s dynamic.
Tensions reach a boiling point when Evangeline, feeling threatened by Bess and Theo’s growing closeness, lashes out.
In a fit of jealousy, she cruelly tells Bess that Theo’s interest in her is merely a result of limited options on the secluded island.
The friendship between the girls becomes increasingly strained, with Joni siding with Bess, leaving Evangeline feeling isolated. Seeking to alleviate the growing tension, Joni suggests they explore other parts of Greece, leading the trio to the lively island of Mykonos.
After a night of heavy drinking and partying, the tension between Bess and Evangeline explodes into a heated argument. In the aftermath, Evangeline runs off along a dangerous cliffside path, only for Bess to witness her tragic fall.
Bess rushes to Evangeline’s lifeless body on the beach, where Joni soon joins her.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Joni convinces Bess that they must stick together and fabricate a story to protect themselves. Despite their efforts, the two are arrested and thrust into the center of a media frenzy, with the public quickly condemning them as guilty.
After spending six harrowing months in a Greek prison, the charges against Bess and Joni are dropped due to insufficient evidence, allowing them to return to the United States.
While Joni seizes the opportunity to reinvent herself, becoming a media sensation and self-help influencer, Bess withdraws from the world, deeply scarred by the ordeal. She forgoes college, instead taking a job as a content moderator for a dating app, trying to live a life of anonymity.
A decade later, in 2018, Bess’s past resurfaces when Joni’s girlfriend, Willa, goes missing. Joni asks Bess to provide a false alibi, claiming she was with Bess on the night of Willa’s disappearance.
When Willa’s body is found, the situation escalates into a homicide investigation, forcing Bess to confront the manipulative nature of her old friend.
As Bess uncovers the truth, she realizes that Joni was present during Evangeline’s fall and that there are still unanswered questions about Willa’s death. In the end, Joni vanishes, leaving Bess to ponder whether her friend took her own life.
Finally, Bess finds some semblance of closure, marking the ten-year anniversary of Evangeline’s death with Theo and his wife.
Characters
Bess Winter
Bess Winter is the novel’s protagonist and narrator, offering readers a deeply introspective view of her experiences and relationships. Bess begins the story as an outsider, having moved from England to the affluent community of Calabasas, California.
Her initial sense of alienation drives her into a friendship with Joni and Evangeline, where she finds both comfort and conflict. Bess is portrayed as introspective and somewhat insecure, struggling with her self-worth and identity throughout the novel.
Her relationship with Joni, who is more charismatic and assertive, highlights Bess’s tendency to follow rather than lead. However, she later shows growth by questioning and ultimately rejecting Joni’s manipulations.
Bess’s crush on Theo, Evangeline’s brother, is indicative of her longing for connection and validation. This crush also serves as a catalyst for the breakdown of her friendship with Evangeline.
The trauma of Evangeline’s death and the subsequent media frenzy leaves Bess emotionally scarred, leading her to retreat from life and avoid the limelight that Joni seeks. Her journey in the novel is one of coming to terms with her past, understanding the toxic dynamics in her relationships, and ultimately seeking closure and peace.
Joni Bonnier
Joni Bonnier is a complex character whose evolution from a high school graduate to a media mogul is marked by ambition, manipulation, and a desire for control. Joni’s charisma and confidence initially draw Bess into her orbit.
Throughout the novel, Joni is depicted as someone who is highly aware of her influence over others. Her ability to pivot from the tragedy of Evangeline’s death to build a career out of it underscores her opportunistic nature.
Joni is strategic, using the media attention surrounding the case to her advantage, which starkly contrasts with Bess’s withdrawal from public life. This contrast highlights Joni’s resilience and perhaps a lack of empathy, as she seems more concerned with her own narrative than the truth or the feelings of those around her.
The novel hints at deeper layers of Joni’s character, especially in her involvement in Willa’s disappearance and her possible role in Evangeline’s death. Joni’s final act of disappearing, presumed to have ended her own life, suggests a culmination of her internal conflicts and guilt, leaving her as a tragic figure who could never escape the shadows of her past.
Evangeline Aetos
Evangeline Aetos is the enigmatic and controlling third member of the trio, whose death sets the novel’s events into motion. As the daughter of a wealthy family, Evangeline embodies privilege and an inherent sense of superiority, which strains her relationships with Bess and Joni.
Her controlling nature and expectations create tension during the girls’ summer in Greece, ultimately leading to her alienation from Bess and Joni. Evangeline’s tragic death is shrouded in mystery, and the novel suggests that her relationships with the other girls were more fraught than they appeared.
Her character serves as both a catalyst and a symbol of the fragility of friendships built on unequal power dynamics and unspoken resentments. Evangeline’s death haunts the narrative, with her presence felt even in her absence, as Bess and Joni’s lives are forever altered by what happened in Mykonos.
Evangeline’s character, though not as deeply explored as Bess or Joni, remains a pivotal figure whose influence extends beyond her life. She represents the consequences of unresolved tensions and the destructive nature of secrets.
Theo Aetos
Theo Aetos, Evangeline’s brother, plays a more peripheral but significant role in the novel. He represents a romantic interest for Bess and a source of jealousy and tension for Evangeline.
Theo’s presence in the story highlights the complexities of sibling relationships and the impact they can have on friendships. While not much is detailed about Theo’s character directly, his interactions with Bess provide insight into her vulnerabilities and desires.
Theo’s return in the novel’s conclusion, where he and his wife join Bess in marking the anniversary of Evangeline’s death, suggests his ongoing struggle with his sister’s death and the need for closure. His role is primarily as a supporting character, yet his influence on the dynamics between the three girls is significant, particularly in how it exacerbates the tensions that lead to the tragic events in Mykonos.
Willa
Willa is introduced in the latter part of the novel as Joni’s girlfriend, whose mysterious disappearance and death add another layer of intrigue and suspense to the story. Although not as deeply explored as the other characters, Willa’s character is essential in revealing more about Joni’s manipulative tendencies.
Willa’s death and the subsequent investigation serve as a catalyst for Bess to reassess her past and her friendship with Joni. This leads Bess to realize the extent of Joni’s influence and the possible darkness within her.
Willa’s character, while not central to the narrative, acts as a mirror reflecting Joni’s capacity for deceit and the destructive impact of unresolved guilt and trauma.
Themes
The Complexity of Female Friendship
The central theme of Before We Were Innocent is the intricate and often tumultuous nature of female friendship. The novel delves deep into the emotional bonds between Bess, Joni, and Evangeline, exploring how their relationships are shaped by jealousy, loyalty, competition, and the desire for acceptance.
Berman portrays female friendship as both a source of strength and a potential pitfall. It is capable of fostering deep connections but also of breeding resentment and betrayal.
The dynamics between the three girls illustrate how power shifts within friendships can lead to destructive outcomes, particularly when one friend feels marginalized or overshadowed. The tragedy of Evangeline’s death becomes a catalyst that exposes the cracks in their friendship, ultimately leading to a complete unraveling of their relationships.
This theme is revisited in the 2018 timeline, where the lingering effects of the past continue to influence Bess and Joni. It highlights how unresolved tensions and guilt can haunt a person for years.
The Influence of Media and Public Perception
The novel critically examines the role of media in shaping public perception, particularly in cases involving young women. After Evangeline’s death, Bess and Joni become the subjects of intense media scrutiny, with their lives and characters dissected by journalists and the public alike.
This theme explores how the media often distorts the truth, creating narratives that are more sensational than factual. Bess and Joni are vilified, their private lives exposed and manipulated to fit a storyline that satisfies the public’s appetite for scandal.
Berman highlights the dangers of this kind of public shaming, where individuals are reduced to caricatures, and the complexities of their situations are ignored. The aftermath of this media frenzy has long-lasting effects on Bess, who retreats from the public eye, scarred by the experience.
In contrast, Joni uses the media to her advantage, rebranding herself as a survivor and capitalizing on the very system that once condemned her. This theme underscores the power of the media in constructing and deconstructing identities, especially for women.
Guilt and Responsibility
Guilt and responsibility are pervasive themes in the novel, particularly in relation to the events surrounding Evangeline’s death and the later disappearance of Willa. Bess is plagued by guilt, not only for what happened in Mykonos but also for her perceived role in Willa’s death.
This guilt is compounded by her realization that she may have been complicit in a lie that shaped the course of her life. The novel explores how guilt can distort one’s sense of reality, leading to self-doubt and a questioning of one’s moral integrity.
Bess’s struggle with guilt is contrasted with Joni’s seemingly untroubled conscience. While Joni appears to navigate life without being weighed down by the past, Bess’s guilt prevents her from moving forward.
The theme of responsibility is also examined through the characters’ actions and decisions, particularly in the way Joni manipulates situations to her advantage. Bess’s eventual discovery that Joni was present during Evangeline’s fall challenges her understanding of responsibility and forces her to reconsider the events of that fateful night.
The novel ultimately raises questions about who is responsible for the tragic outcomes and how much of that responsibility Bess and Joni must bear.
The Search for Identity
The theme of identity is central to the novel, particularly in the way the characters navigate their lives in the wake of trauma. Bess, Joni, and Evangeline are all at a crossroads in their lives, transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.
The trip to Greece represents a rite of passage, a final moment of freedom before they must confront the realities of their futures. However, the tragedy that unfolds forces each girl to reassess who they are and who they want to be.
For Bess, the experience is deeply disorienting, leading her to withdraw and lose her sense of self. Her identity becomes defined by the trauma and the media’s portrayal of her, leaving her struggling to reclaim her life.
In contrast, Joni takes control of her narrative, crafting a new identity for herself as a media influencer. This theme explores how identity can be shaped by external forces, such as societal expectations and public perception, as well as by internal struggles with guilt, responsibility, and self-worth.
The novel also touches on the idea of reinvention, as seen in Joni’s transformation, and the challenges that come with trying to forge a new identity in the shadow of past events.
Power and Manipulation
Power dynamics play a crucial role in Before We Were Innocent, particularly in the relationships between the characters. Evangeline’s controlling nature initially sets the tone for the girls’ interactions.
As the novel progresses, the power shifts, particularly between Bess and Joni. Joni’s ability to manipulate situations and people becomes more evident as the story unfolds, especially in her handling of the aftermath of Evangeline’s death and later, Willa’s disappearance.
This theme examines how power can corrupt relationships, leading to betrayal and moral compromise. Joni’s manipulation of Bess, both in the past and in the present, reveals the darker side of friendship and the lengths to which some will go to protect themselves or achieve their goals.
The novel also explores the power of storytelling, as Joni’s ability to control the narrative allows her to reshape her identity and influence others. Bess’s gradual realization of Joni’s manipulative tendencies forces her to confront the power imbalances in their friendship and to reclaim her own agency.
This theme highlights the complex interplay of power, manipulation, and control in human relationships, particularly among women.
Trauma and Healing
The novel deeply engages with the theme of trauma, particularly how it shapes the characters’ lives and their paths to healing. Bess’s trauma from Evangeline’s death and the subsequent media frenzy leaves her emotionally scarred, leading to a decade of withdrawal and avoidance.
Her journey throughout the novel is one of seeking closure and healing, as she grapples with her guilt and the lingering effects of the past. The novel portrays trauma as a powerful force that can define a person’s life, but also suggests that healing is possible, albeit difficult.
Bess’s eventual reconciliation with her past, marked by her final moments of closure with Theo and his wife, indicates that while trauma leaves a lasting impact, it does not have to dictate one’s future.
The theme of healing is contrasted with Joni’s approach to trauma, which is more about avoidance and reinvention rather than true emotional recovery. The novel suggests that healing requires confronting the past, accepting responsibility, and finding a way to move forward, even when the path is fraught with pain.