Grief Is for People

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death by suicide and mental illness.

Sloane Crosley, the narrator, recounts the theft of 41 pieces of jewelry from her New York City apartment on June 27, 2019. The telling of the robbery alternates with the telling of her friend Russell Perreault’s death by suicide, which occurs exactly one month after the burglary.

Pieces of jewelry from both of Crosley’s late grandmothers are stolen. Crosley shares a few details about each grandmother but states that she wasn’t close with either. The police arrive, dust for fingerprints, and ask Crosley if she knows who might be responsible for the theft. In the days that follow, she is inundated by personal stories of theft from friends and acquaintances. Many friends are eager to try to identify the burglar, as if the incident is part of a mystery book or a game.

A few days later, the police spot the thief on the apartment’s security camera. His movements and the time stamps suggest that he watched Crosley leave the apartment and then entered. The footage also shows him putting on latex gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.

Crosley, unsure whether the thief knew her or merely waited for an opportunity, becomes obsessed with uncovering his identity.