Chapter Ten 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.

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Summary

The chapter opens with Daisy waking at the boat launch in the thick, humid heat of a northern summer. The U-Haul remains untouched, and the campsite is busier in daylight. Daisy reflects on how the light reveals the dead clearly—she spots three ghosts bobbing in the water—while darkness hides them. She puts in an earbud to create a “safety zone” of music, a habit that recurs throughout the novel.

Mr. Helms, the lawyer who wrote Uncle Peter’s will, arrives with his partner Paulie. He and Daisy’s mother sign the papers transferring ownership of the house and land to her, with the condition that they maintain a permanent residence on the property. Mr. Helms mentions that the Okekes, described as psychics, live nearby, and Paulie makes a joking “woo” sound. The couple helps load the family’s belongings onto the boat, and they travel across the lake to the bunkie.

Once inside, Daisy checks on her plants, which have been boxed up and deprived of light. She worries they may have died, and she reflects on her special connection to her monstera, which she associates with “clean rot” and the idea that rotten things call to her. Her mother, meanwhile, sits on the couch researching Airbnb, planning to rent out the mansion to generate income. Daisy recognizes this as another of her mother’s schemes—one that likely won’t bring the financial breakthrough her mother hopes for.

When Daisy asks to go into the main house, her mother sharply refuses, claiming cleaners are there. Daisy notices no one else around, but she doesn’t push. Instead, her mother leads her toward the forest, warning her about wild blueberries and pointing out a dead garden and a heated greenhouse that Daisy is expected to restore for guests. As they pass the mansion, Daisy sees a curtain move as if someone is inside, but her mother doesn’t react. They continue into the forest, where the tall trees block out the sun.

Key Events

Daisy wakes at the boat launch and observes the dead in daylight, noting that light makes them visible.
Mr. Helms and Paulie arrive; the will is signed, transferring ownership of Uncle Peter’s property to Daisy’s mother with a permanent-residence condition.
Mr. Helms mentions the Okekes, a family of psychics, as neighbors.
The family loads the boat and moves to the bunkie.
Daisy tends to her plants and worries about their survival after the move.
Her mother begins planning an Airbnb rental for the mansion.
Daisy asks to enter the house; her mother refuses, citing cleaners.
Her mother shows Daisy the dead garden and the greenhouse, assigning her the task of restoring them.
Daisy notices a curtain in the mansion move as if someone is inside, but her mother ignores it.
They enter the forest together.

Character Development

Daisy continues to grapple with her ability to see the dead. In daylight, she sees ghosts clearly, but she prefers the darkness because it hides them. Her use of music as a “safety zone” shows her need to control her environment. Her care for her plants reveals a nurturing side, but also a sense of fatalism—she expects some to die. She is observant and skeptical of her mother’s plans, recognizing the pattern of failed schemes. Her curiosity about the mansion is tempered by her mother’s refusal, but she notices the moving curtain, hinting that she is attuned to unseen presences.

Mom is determined and secretive. She signs the will without hesitation, but she avoids letting Daisy into the house, offering a flimsy excuse. She is focused on the Airbnb as a financial solution, yet Daisy sees it as another unrealistic dream. Her brief caress of the mansion’s bricks suggests a deep, personal connection to the property that she doesn’t explain. She is also practical about the land, warning Daisy about berries and assigning her the garden restoration.

Mr. Helms and Paulie serve as local connectors, introducing the family to the area and the Okekes. Their friendliness contrasts with the underlying tension around the property’s conditions.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Light vs. darkness: Daisy explicitly contrasts the two: light reveals the dead, darkness hides them. This motif recurs throughout the chapter and the novel, shaping Daisy’s perception of safety.
Music as a safety zone: Daisy’s earbud creates a barrier between her and the supernatural, a recurring coping mechanism.
Rotten things calling to Daisy: Her connection to the monstera and its “clean rot” mirrors her attraction to the dead and the decaying aspects of her family’s past.
Financial precarity and unfulfilled schemes: Daisy’s internal critique of her mother’s Airbnb plan highlights the family’s ongoing struggle to escape their lower-middle-class situation.
Inheritance and conditions: The will’s permanent-residence requirement ties the family to the property, setting up future conflicts.
Unseen presence: The moving curtain suggests something or someone in the mansion, foreshadowing the supernatural or hidden truths.
Nature and control: The dead garden and greenhouse represent Daisy’s attempt to impose order on a wild, untamed environment, paralleling her struggle to control her own abilities.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes the practical and emotional stakes of the family’s move. The signing of the will locks them into the property, while the mention of the Okekes introduces a potential source of supernatural knowledge. Daisy’s mother’s refusal to enter the house creates immediate mystery, and the moving curtain hints that the mansion holds secrets. The chapter also deepens Daisy’s characterization, showing her relationship with plants, her skepticism of her mother’s plans, and her ongoing negotiation with the dead. It sets up the central conflict of the novel: what is hidden inside the house, and why is Daisy’s mother so determined to keep her out?

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Daisy’s mother refuse to let her enter the mansion?

She claims cleaners are inside, but Daisy notices no one around. The refusal feels purposeful, and her mother’s furrowed brow suggests she is hiding something. The chapter implies that the mansion holds secrets she doesn’t want Daisy to discover, possibly related to the supernatural or to Uncle Peter’s past.

What does the moving curtain reveal about the mansion?

Daisy sees a curtain flap as if someone is playing with it from inside, then it stops abruptly. This suggests an unseen presence—perhaps a ghost or a living person—that Daisy is attuned to. It foreshadows that the house is not empty and that Daisy’s ability to see the dead will be central to uncovering what’s there.

How does Daisy’s view of her mother’s Airbnb plan reflect her character?

Daisy recognizes the pattern of her mother’s failed schemes and predicts the Airbnb will only break even, not bring wealth. This shows Daisy’s realism and her frustration with her mother’s optimism. It also highlights the financial pressure the family faces and Daisy’s sense of being trapped in a cycle of unfulfilled promises.

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