Chapter summaries Any Way the Wind Blows Rainbow Rowell

Any Way the Wind Blows Chapter 62 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with the group celebrating Penelope’s rescue of Shepard from a demonic engagement. Baz notes that Simon is emotionally fragile after his encounter with Smith-Richards. Baz goes hunting alone, gorging on rats and a badger to avoid feeding the next day. When he returns, Penelope has spelled the floor soft and conjured sleeping bags; she and Shepard stay over. Baz teases Penelope about her obvious crush on Shepard, then showers and tries to wash Simon’s sheets with magic, but his trembling hands make the spell fail three times.

In the dark, Baz reflects on his guilt: he does not regret killing the vampires who took Agatha, but he questions the vampires at the Renaissance Faire. Worse, he cannot escape the memory of stealing Philippa Stainton’s voice—and her magic—when he was a boy. He feels crushed by that irreversible act.

Simon enters the bedroom, strips to his boxers, and unfurls his wings. Baz invites him to bed. Simon recounts the failed spell: Smith-Richards tried twice to restore Simon’s magic, but nothing happened. Simon now accepts that he was never a mage—only a Normal used in the Mage’s experiment. He ran home, feeling freed rather than disappointed.

In bed, Simon asks Baz to be gentle. They kiss and touch, with Simon promising to give Baz whatever he wants. Baz admits he wants to always be there. They confess love and move together in the dark, Simon wondering if this intimacy is enough to replace the magic he lost.

Key Events

  • Penelope and Shepard arrive, celebrating their victory over the demon; Baz observes Shepard’s crush on Penelope.
  • Baz hunts alone, filling himself to skip a day of feeding.
  • Baz struggles to cast a simple laundry spell, his hands shaking.
  • Baz internally confesses his guilt over stealing Philippa Stainton’s voice and magic.
  • Simon explains that Smith-Richards’s spell failed twice; Simon now believes he was never a true magician.
  • Simon accepts his Normal identity and feels relief despite the emotional blow.
  • In the bedroom, Simon asks Baz what he wants; Baz requests gentleness.
  • Simon promises to give Baz whatever he wants; they kiss, express love, and become physically intimate.
  • Simon wonders whether this feeling of closeness is its own kind of magic.

Character Development

Baz Pitch: This chapter reveals Baz’s deep moral turmoil. He previously acted without hesitation, killing vampires and stealing a girl’s voice. Now he questions his culpability, especially regarding Philippa Stainton, whose life he permanently altered. His inability to cast a simple spell highlights his emotional rattled state. Yet he chooses vulnerability with Simon, asking for gentleness rather than bravado. This marks a shift from self-protection to trust.

Simon Snow: Simon’s acceptance that he was never a magician is a transformative moment. He no longer clings to hope of healing; instead, he frames his lost magic as a falsehood perpetrated by the Mage. This realization is painful but liberating. His gentle treatment of Baz—his willingness to be soft—shows emotional maturity. He finds solace in physical and emotional intimacy rather than magical power.

Penelope Bunce: Though minor here, Penelope’s teasing and her blushing around Shepard suggest her own romantic subplot is developing. Baz’s observation that Shepard has harbored a crush since Colorado confirms this.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Guilt and Moral Responsibility

Baz’s internal monologue examines the weight of past actions. He distinguishes between justified killing (the vampires who took Agatha) and questionable violence (the Renaissance Faire vampires). But the theft of Philippa’s voice—an irreversible crime against an innocent—anchors his guilt. This motif echoes the novel’s broader questions about redress and atonement.

Identity and Normalcy

Simon’s repeated thought, “I was never magic,” underscores his redefined identity. He is no longer the Chosen One; he is a Normal. The chapter suggests that letting go of a false identity can be freeing, even if it comes with grief.

Intimacy as a New Magic

The physical scene between Simon and Baz is slow, tender, and consensual. Simon asks, “Is this what people do?” and wonders if this closeness is “enough.” The text implicitly contrasts magical power with human connection: Baz’s failing spells versus Simon’s steady, gentle touch. The act of “kissing for the sake of kissing” becomes a ritual of its own.

The Hidden Waterfall

Simon recalls a hidden waterfall where he once found a key. He compares Baz’s scent to rushing water—cold, hidden, precious. This natural metaphor ties Baz’s presence to discovery and mystery, reinforcing the idea that their relationship is a secret treasure.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 62 is a pivotal emotional climax. It resolves Simon’s arc concerning his lost magic: he no longer seeks a cure, accepting his Normal status. For Baz, it confronts his conscience, forcing him to own his past sins. Their intimacy, born from vulnerability, solidifies their commitment to each other. The chapter also sets up Baz’s unresolved guilt as a conflict to be addressed in the remainder of the novel.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Simon feel relieved after Smith-Richards’s spell fails?
Simon has been tormented by the possibility that his magic could be restored, forcing him into the role of a healed hero. The spell’s failure confirms that he was never a true mage—only a Normal used by the Mage. This certainty allows him to stop chasing a false hope and build a life without magic.

2. How does Baz’s view of his own past actions change in this chapter?
Baz previously acted without moral reflection, especially when killing vampires. Now he questions whether those killings were justified. Most significantly, he fully acknowledges that stealing Philippa Stainton’s voice and magic was a crime he cannot undo. This guilt weighs on him physically (trembling hands) and emotionally, marking the beginning of his journey toward accountability.

3. What does Simon mean when he asks, “Is this what people do?” during their intimate moment?
Simon has spent most of his life as a magical weapon—fighting, destroying, surviving. He lacks a model for gentle, mutual intimacy. His question reflects his wonder at discovering a form of closeness that does not involve violence or magic. He is learning that love and physical connection can be a kind of magic in themselves.

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