Ob is May's husband. In the beginning of the novel, Ob is struggling to deal with his grief over her death. Over time, he slips into a deep depression, and he even considers taking his own life. The one thing that saves Ob is his belief that May's spirit visits him periodically, and as a result, he concocts a plan to drive to Putnam County and meet with a medium, hoping to converse with May. By the end of the novel, however, Ob is no closer to conversing with May than he was in the beginning, and he learns how to deal with his dark emotions and embrace the love that's still around him.
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