Mudbound

Laura is 30 years old at the beginning of the novel. She describes herself as, not ugly, but not attractive, and she is resigned to the fact that she will never marry. But when Henry McAllan begins courting her, she realizes that she hopes it will end in their marriage. After they are married, she enjoys what she sees as the duties of a wife, but she does not try to convince herself that she is living a passionate life. This becomes more obvious to her once Henry moves the family to the Mudbound farm, particularly when she meets Jamie. Soon she is aware of how little attention Henry pays to her, and how much care Jamie takes to make her feel special and noticed. Her affair with Jamie allows Laura to experience a depth and height of feeling that she thought she was incapable of, and she is grateful to Jamie for that at the end of the novel because it has taught her that passion, while thrilling, can exist without the substance required for a long-term relationship. When she tells Henry at the end of the novel that she has everything she needs, Laura is telling the truth.