Does this novel have a hero? Why or why not? Which of the main characters might qualify as the novel’s moral or emotional center?

James Piper is arguably an irredeemable monster, whose pedophilia is only one of many transgressions. How and why do other characters enable or deter his predations?

Why does Frances want to have a baby with Ginger? Why does she believe she must punish him for what she thinks he did to Kathleen in this way? Is her sexual development tied to her molestation at the hands of her father?