Chapter 87 Summary: The Middle Ground Between Living and Not
Spoiler Notice: This page discusses events from Chapter 87 of All the Colors of the Dark. If you haven’t read this far, proceed carefully.
Summary
Patch meets another mother and collects a photograph before sitting with Misty in the Huntersville basilica. Misty admits she no longer prays because she feels she has been given enough. He compares rosary beads on the wall to those Eli Aaron buried with his victims. He spends free time in the public library, researching a decade of news and expanding his search for missing girls to surrounding states. He copies each new name and face for Chief Nix, who silently files them away. Sammy perfects marinades and talks Roots during Sunday barbecues; a woman named Nina visits but Sammy has ended the arrangement. Misty hints heavily about prom, and Patch eventually takes her to Elion Point, where she hugs him with overwhelming relief. He patches together care for his mother—picking up pills, fixing meals, making sure Misty never enters the house—but utilities regularly get cut. He passes Saint occasionally and exchanges small smiles, aware she will soon leave. His painting becomes his “true north.” He finishes portraits of the Birch girl and the Huntersville girl, shipping them to their mothers; Carol Birch drives to Monta Clare to sob in his arms. He then paints Callie Montrose with such skill that locals, led by Chief Nix, stare at it for hours. The painting is shipped to Richie Montrose, who sends it back. Nix explains that sometimes it hurts too much.
Key Events
- Patch gathers another photograph and sits with Misty in a basilica, where she relinquishes prayer.
- He researches missing-persons cases in the library, copying files for an unresponsive Nix.
- Misty’s prom hints culminate in Patch taking her to Elion Point; she clings to him.
- Patch struggles to keep his mother’s household afloat amid poverty and utility shutoffs.
- He paints lifelike portraits of missing girls, sending them to families as acts of tribute.
- Callie Montrose’s father rejects her portrait, and Nix frames the refusal as a defense against pain.
Character Development
Patch: He persists in his obsessive search while building a parallel life with Misty. His art becomes a disciplined outlet, transforming his scream into skill that moves strangers and families. He exists in a self-described “altered state,” caught between motion and stasis. Misty: She is Patch’s constant. Her kiss in the basilica and refusal to let go of his hand signal a deepening reliance. Her prom hopes show a longing for normalcy that Patch struggles to meet. Sammy: His commentary on Roots and flippant dismissal of Nina reveal a guarded heart beneath the humor. He steps back from guiding Patch’s work, simply watching in awe. Chief Nix: He no longer argues with Patch’s deliveries, filing the copies away with a kind but troubled face. His lingering in front of Callie’s portrait reveals an unspoken weight. Saint: Reduced to passing smiles, she becomes a figure preparing to leave Patch behind, underscoring his isolation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Limbo as Existence: The chapter is anchored by the phrase “that middle ground between living and not, moving on and stalling.” Patch’s daily rituals—research, caregiving, painting—are a way to endure without fully engaging life.
- Art as True North: Painting is not just skill but purpose. The portraits become offerings, a means of honoring the missing and giving families a tangible image to hold or reject.
- The Pain of Remembrance: Richie Montrose returning the portrait crystallizes how memory can be too agonizing to face. Nix’s observation that “sometimes it hurts too much” echoes the novel’s exploration of grief’s weight.
- Rosary Beads: Patch silently compares basilica beads to those Eli Aaron used, linking sacred space to the profane past. The moment shows his mind never fully leaves the search.
- The Yellow Dress: Misty’s repeated sighs before Miss Kline’s window symbolize a longing for a conventional milestone that remains just out of reach for them.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 87 underscores the cost of Patch’s dual devotion: to finding Grace and to the life Misty offers. His painting emerges as a form of witness, turning his obsession into something that can comfort—or wound—others. The returned portrait of Callie Montrose is a quiet climax, demonstrating that not everyone wants the truth preserved. Meanwhile, the domestic details—utility cuts, his mother’s pills, refusing Misty entry—show the grinding poverty and protectiveness that shape his daily choices. The chapter deepens the portrait of a young man who refuses to let go, even as the world around him signals it might be time.
Study Questions and Answers
-
How does Patch’s library research reflect his internal state?
Patch spends his free time combing through a decade of news, widening his search to neighboring states. This routine shows his inability to stop seeking—he literalizes the limbo by occupying a space of endless looking. The detail that he “skimmed past news he wondered how he had missed” highlights how completely his own trauma cut him off from the wider world, yet he still channels that disconnect into methodical purpose. -
Why does Richie Montrose reject the portrait of his daughter, and what does this reveal about grief?
Richie sends Callie’s painting back, and Nix explains that it hurts too much. The rejection reveals that not all grieving families find solace in representation; for some, a vivid likeness is a reopened wound. The act adds complexity to Patch’s mission: his tribute can be a gift or an unbearable burden, depending on the recipient’s ability to look. -
What does the phrase “true north” mean in the context of Patch’s painting?
Sammy recognizes that Patch’s skill has reached a point where it no longer needs guidance, becoming a fixed point of direction. For Patch, painting is the compass that keeps him oriented amid the chaos of his suspended existence. It transforms his scream—his relentless pain—into something disciplined and sharable, giving both him and the mothers a form of clarity.
Navigation:
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Back to Book Hub