How does Irene change over the course of the novel, Universal Harvester?

After marrying and moving to Crescent, Iowa, Irene misses her family in Tama and seems to feel isolated, as she is alone most of the time or taking care of children. This contributes to her craving for community, which she seeks by attending church, and eventually exploring the option of Michael Christopher's church. This eventually leads to her cutting herself off from her family and disappearing for longer and longer stretches of time. Peter starts to notice that Irene is losing weight and hiding her food in a scrap bucket, which initially just seems like a sensible kitchen item for composting and other such activities, but is actually being saved to feed the starving disciples of Michael Christopher. Over the course of the novel, Irene disappears.