Chapter 17: Anita — The Ghost Finds Her Power

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

From her death, Anita’s spirit first appears under a ceiba tree on a deserted Varadero beach. She discovers she can climb the tree into a liminal space that connects her to physical locations. Her initial haunting is purely metaphysical, but after Jack Martin is arrested for her murder, she learns to corporeally affect his world — breaking objects and rattling furniture. Her sister fights to mount a museum retrospective of Anita's work, but Jack's lawyers send a cease-and-desist letter claiming ownership of the estate. Enraged, Anita hears a bat speak to her, revealing that she can learn to take physical form and fly by first falling, like a bat. The bat is the deceased lover of Marco, a Cuban painter whom Anita once helped. Anita now has the power to become visible and to bite.

Key Events (in chronological order)

Anita appears on a Varadero beach after Jack threw her from the window; she finds the ceiba tree and climbs it for the first time.
She emerges through the tree’s crown into a prison where Jack is being held; she laughs and observes his cell.
Anita learns that people summon her by talking about her or her work with strong emotion, and she can visit any place that makes her happy — but not America.
She visits her sister’s kitchen and overhears a phone call: Jack’s lawyers have sent a cease-and-desist letter to block Anita’s posthumous retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas.
Anita’s sister screams at the lawyer; her brother-in-law says they will violate the order.
In frustration, Anita retreats to the ceiba and is addressed by a bat who reveals he is the lover of Marco, a painter Anita once helped.
The bat tells Anita she can take physical form and fly by first falling, like a bat.
The bat says he sometimes visits Marco by leaving mice at his door, and once flew into Fidel Castro’s house to ruin a dinner party.

Character Development

Anita de Monte: Transforms from a passive ghost into an active, potentially vengeful spirit. She learns that her rage can manifest physically (knocking over mail, rattling cups). She also experiences guilt — she feels no fear when climbing the ceiba, only instinct. Her emotional growth includes recognizing that her sister’s love for her art is genuine, even if they had aesthetic differences.
Anita’s sister (unnamed in this chapter): Emerges as a fierce guardian of Anita’s legacy, rejecting both Jomar and Leslie’s claims to curate the retrospective, and insisting on a museum-level show. Her grief gives way to determination.
Jack Martin: Remains unrepentant in his dreams, feeling grievance and vengeance rather than guilt. Anita observes his smug satisfaction and plants nightmares in his mind.
The bat: A mysterious guide who embodies the idea that love can persist beyond death. His relationship with Marco mirrors Anita’s longing for connection.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

The ceiba tree: A liminal portal between life and death, connecting Anita to both Varadero and the physical world. Its roots are “kind, the way you hope a mother’s are,” suggesting maternal comfort.
Flight and falling: The bat’s lesson — to fly, a bat must first fall — becomes a metaphor for Anita’s new phase of haunting. She must disorient herself to gain power.
Art as life force: Anita’s sister feels her vitality in the artworks, even though she can’t sense her ghost. The retrospective becomes a battle for Anita’s continued existence.
The letter from Jack’s lawyers: Represents institutional attempts to erase Anita’s legacy, mirroring the violence that ended her life.
The bat’s bite: A symbol of vengeance and the ability to harm in the afterlife.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 17 is a pivotal turning point in the novel. It establishes the supernatural rules of Anita’s afterlife — the ceiba tree as a nexus, the limits of her haunting (she cannot go to America unless summoned by positive emotions), and her capacity to evolve from intangible observer to corporeal actor. It also deepens the subplot about Anita’s sister fighting the art establishment, which sets up conflict for the rest of the book. The bat’s appearance introduces a rare ally in the spirit world and hints at a larger network of ghosts who influence the living. Finally, the chapter’s closing metaphor — falling to fly — foreshadows Anita’s next move: she will learn to become visible and take revenge.

Study Questions

Why does the ceiba tree send Anita only to places that made her happy, rather than to America, where Jack is?
The text says the ceiba “never sent me down to America. Only to places that made me happy.” This suggests Anita’s emotional state dictates her travel within the afterlife. She can only access locations associated with joy or peace, which is why Jack’s prison appears only when she climbs up toward anger — the tree seems to respond to her feelings during the climb. America represents her traumatic life with Jack, so the tree will not transport her there.
How does Anita’s relationship with her sister change after death?
While alive, Anita felt her sister did not appreciate her art. After death, Anita observes her sister weeping in her studio and realizes that her sister can feel her vitality in the pieces, even if she cannot perceive her ghost. The sister becomes the champion of Anita’s legacy, refusing to let gallerists or Jack control the narrative. This deepens Anita’s appreciation for her sister’s love, even though they had different aesthetic sensibilities.
What does the bat mean when he says “you have power. Not everybody does”?
The bat implies that not all ghosts can achieve physical presence. He tells Anita she can learn to take form and fly by first falling, indicating that her rage and determination give her special abilities. Marco’s lover is one such ghost who can fly into buildings and even bother dictators. Anita’s power is latent but requires her to trust the process of falling — surrendering control — to gain the ability to affect the living world.