The Accidental Tourist

Muriel is Macon’s unorthodox love interest who acts as a foil to Macon. She is described as thin, with a large nest of dark, curly hair and a pointed chin. She dresses eccentrically, resulting from her frequent thrift store visits. Macon sees her as unpredictable, extreme, and “unlikeable, sometimes” (201). Muriel works as a clerk at a veterinarian's office for most of the novel, but she also does odd jobs to make ends meet for herself and her son, Alexander. These jobs include working as an errand runner and as a dog trainer. She helps Macon train his unruly corgi, Edward.

Muriel’s presence in Macon’s life results from her unwavering persistence. Macon is initially resistant to Muriel’s attempts to get to know him. When Macon finally lets her into his life, he describes her as “an open book, would tell him anything—more than he felt comfortable with” (225). Because of her talkative nature, Macon very quickly learns intimate details about Muriel’s childhood, previous marriage, odd jobs, and upbringing. However, Muriel does remain guarded. She is hardened by a life of unfortunate circumstances, like her rough teenage years, callous parents, and sickly son. She lives in a low-income neighborhood and has had to “fight for every little thing she wanted” (226). Because of this, she withholds certain details from Macon, like Alexander’s existence, until she feels she can trust him more. She also expresses insecurity with Macon, asking if he’ll leave her and if he takes her seriously.

Despite her insecurity, Muriel unapologetically pursues her desires. She persistently calls Macon over training Edward, presents Macon with a wedding date when they’re not engaged, and buys a ticket to France with Macon despite being broken up. Macon comments that “he had to admire her. Had he ever known such a fighter?” (269). The France trip results in the rekindling of their relationship as Muriel proves herself to be exactly the kind of person Macon needs in his life.

Sarah is Macon’s recently estranged wife of 20 years. She is also grieving the loss of their son, Ethan. Sarah’s personality is revealed through Macon’s flashbacks with her and her grief-influenced actions throughout the novel. Sarah’s grief is evident through conversations with Macon during their separation. Sarah details a fantasy where she speaks to the man who killed Ethan, communicating her pain before shooting him. She explains to Macon that she “felt [herself] retreating” and [w]ithdrawing” (134) over the last year since Ethan’s death. She cites Macon’s reaction to Ethan’s death as a reason she could no longer be around him. In the first chapter, she tells Macon he’s “not a comfort” (3), which at the time describes her anxiety about the rain but grows to represent Sarah’s feelings towards Macon overall as more of their relationship is revealed.

Before Ethan’s death, Sarah was much more social and open about her emotions than Macon. Macon recalls, “Sarah thought crowds were exciting. She liked to meet new people. She was fond of parties, even cocktail parties” (47-48). When they were 17, Sarah pursued Macon because he was the only boy at a party who did not show interest in her. They ended up marrying when they graduated from college, but over the 20 years of their marriage, Sarah grew tired of Macon’s aloof personality and peculiar habits. Macon recalls finding a magazine questionnaire where Sarah had checked a box indicating she believed she loved her spouse more than he loved her.

After Sarah gets almost a year of distance from Macon, she comes to change her perspective on him and their relationship. She seems to recover from the dark place she is in at the beginning of the novel. Over lunch, she explains that “after a certain age people just don’t have a choice” adding that Macon is “who [she’s] with. It’s too late for [her] to change” (301). She even decides they go to Macon’s usual choice, the Old Bay Restaurant, despite thinking it’s boring. She explains, “There are worse things than boring” (299). During their separation, Sarah comes to miss Macon’s systems and habits that previously annoyed her. She even revisits having another child with Macon because she has recovered enough from her grief while separated. Ultimately, Sarah’s story ends with Macon deciding they should stay separated, despite her attempts to make things work again.

Rose is Macon’s sister, and she shares several qualities with Macon and their brothers. Rose is illustrated as meticulously organized, alphabetizing the groceries, reorganizing the utensil drawer, and running the household. She is “unemployed, unmarried, [and] supported by her brothers” (68). Macon believes Rose would make a fantastic secretary—the kind who “actually run the whole business” (68).

Macon explains “there had always been some family member requiring Rose’s care” (67). She cared for the Learys’ grandparents as they aged and died. Afterward, she continued to run their house, now caring for her brothers, Porter and Charles, who moved home after failed marriages. Like Macon, Rose is also prone to habits and routines. She polishes the silver every week, “painstakingly [plans] the menus” (67), and she stops at the same time every day to watch her soap opera.

Throughout the novel, Rose meets and begins a relationship with Macon’s publisher, Julian. Macon is suspicious of Julian’s motives at first, thinking Rose does not fit with Julian’s bachelor lifestyle. However, Rose takes to Julian quickly. Over Thanksgiving dinner, after her brothers complain about the turkey, Rose accuses them of trying to make her “look bad in front of Julian” (166). She goes on a tangent about the importance of love, accusing her brothers of wanting her to waste her chance at it with Julian. After Rose and Julian wed, Rose moves out of and then swiftly back into the Leary house. Her brief time living in an apartment with Julian left Porter and Charles unattended. Unable to resist the urge to care for her loved ones, Rose moves home to help set them straight, but she still brings Julian food. In the end, Macon suggests Julian offer Rose a secretary job, and the two live in harmony.