Monday’s Not Coming: Chapter 1. September Summary & Analysis

What follows is the story of how Claudia’s best friend disappeared. Nobody noticed the disappearance except Claudia, and nobody seemed to care until they found Claudia’s friend—a year later. It may seem impossible that a kid can disappear like this, but as Claudia’s Ma says, “not everyone circles the same sun.” Claudia only learned what Mama meant when Monday disappeared. It may also seem strange that this could happen in Washington, D.C., where some of the most powerful people in the world live. It’s “the president’s backyard.” Everyone in Claudia’s neighborhood (the Southeast) thought the same thing.

According to Claudia’s doctor, she shouldn’t be talking about this anymore. But recently, there’s been a podcast re-examining what happened. Everyone sees the story differently, just like how everyone sees color differently—for the color pink, for instance, some people see rose or magenta, while others see salmon. But it’s still just pink. This story begins the day before Claudia starts eighth grade. It’s supposed to be her and Monday’s last year of middle school, and Claudia thought it would be “the best year of [their] lives.”