Prime Video's Every Year After didn't spend much time exploring Percy Fraser's (Sadie Soverall) parents, but one big decision they made changed the trajectory of her life and her romance with Sam Florek (Matt Cornett). Every Year After saw Percy returning to Barry's Bay every summer since she was a teenager, ultimately meeting the Floreks and allowing them to be part of her life as she grew up.
While her parents are absent, Sue Florek, Sam and Charlie's mother, became like a surrogate mother to Percy during her childhood summers. Percy had a close bond with Sue, who welcomed her into the Florek family with open arms. Much of their time was spent at the local tavern, where Percy, Sam, and Charlie worked during their teen years.
What Happened to Percy's Parents In 'Every Year After'
Percy's parents, Diane and Arthur Fraser, are both alive in both Carley Fortune's Every Summer After novel and Prime Video's Every Year After, but they only serve as peripheral characters who don't physically appear in Barry's Bay. In both the book and the series, they are professors at the University of Toronto.
When Percy was 13 years old, they bought a summer cottage in Barry's Bay, Ontario, which became central to her summers and relationship with Sam Florek. Percy's parents are supportive enough to buy a cottage for family getaways, despite their busy lives in Toronto. However, they were not aware that the cottage they bought was next to the Floreks.
Percy's parents don't really play a major ongoing role in the plot, allowing Sue to become Percy's surrogate mother figure while she was there in Barry's Bay. Diane and Arthur Fraser also didn't appear at all in Every Summer After's second book, One Golden Summer (read more about the summary of Charlie Florek and Alice Everly's story here).
Nothing tragic happens in Prime Video's Every Year After with Percy's parents. In the present-day timeline, they were on a European vacation when the news broke that Sue Florek died, prompting Percy to go back to Barry's Bay to kickstart the story of the series and the book.
In the book, Percy confirmed that her mom kept in touch with Sue all these years, especially during the time when she and Sam broke up (tied to a devastating secret about Charlie).
What Else Does Every Year After Book & Novel Say About Percy's Parents?
According to Percy, Diane and Arthur Fraser are confirmed to be "total geeks." She explained that her full name, Persephone, is the name of the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology.
Percy's mom was a sociology scholar while her father taught Greek mythology. Her mom was in her late thirties, while her father was in her late forties, when they had her. In the book, Percy explained that her every request was met with "enthusiasm and a credit card." As the only child, Percy didn't need much discipline, and she explained that they "gave [her] a very long leash."
Percy's parents were also not that strict, but they were always home when she had people over in their house in Toronto. The Floreks eventually met Diane and Arthur during the first Thanksgiving during Sam and Percy's first year together. While her parents were not sure about Sue when they first met her, Percy shared that they slowly "warmed up to her" and were impressed by Sue for raising "two nice boys" on her own and for her business mindset with the Tavern.
Speaking of the Tavern, Percy's parents were initially not fond of her working in the local restaurant. They didn't understand why she would do that since finances were not an issue with the Frasers. Still, Percy pointed out that she wanted to earn her own money and wanted to spend more time with Sam.
All in all, the lack of Percy's parents in the story is understandable, considering that both the Prime Video series and the novel focus on her emotional growth, independence, and her fallout from her teen romance with Sam (and eventual reconnection later in the timeline).
