Chapter Twenty — Summary, Analysis, and Study Notes

⚠️ 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

Daisy attends her final class of the day at her new school, a biology course. She sits beside Mackenzie, a girl whose constant humming keeps the dead away—a practical choice for Daisy, who is haunted by supernatural visions. As the lesson begins, Daisy reflects on the oppressive nature of school, where everyone seems desperate for approval, grades, and a future that may never come. She thinks about Noah, her ex, and the freedom she feels without him, though she admits that true freedom still eludes her.

The teacher, Ms. Kurukulasuriya (who accepts “Ms. Kuru” conversationally), introduces herself and points out the two new students: Josie and Daisy. Throughout the lesson, Ms. Kuru’s gaze repeatedly lands on Daisy, making her feel like a touch-me-not plant folding inward under scrutiny. When class ends, Ms. Kuru asks Daisy to stay behind.

In the private conversation, Ms. Kuru reveals that she knew Daisy’s mother, Grace, through piano lessons with Grace’s late brother-in-law, Peter. She is surprised to learn that Daisy and her mother live on the property, and even more so that they stay in the bunkie while the main house operates as an Airbnb. Ms. Kuru asks about Daisy’s aunt Dione, then hands Daisy a sticky note with her phone number, asking that Grace call her for dinner. Daisy leaves, unsettled by the teacher’s familiarity and concern.

Daisy’s mother picks her up at the boat launch. On the ride home, Mom reports that the Airbnb is running smoothly; she leaves guest items just over the threshold to avoid entering the house. Daisy tells her about Ms. Kuru’s request. Mom dismissively identifies her as “Katie” and shows no interest in reconnecting. Daisy also asks about Helga, the woman who dropped off vegetables, but Mom insists that summer friendships don’t count. As the boat moves across the water, Daisy wonders what kind of friend Katie was to her mother—and how she knew to be afraid of the house.

Key Events

Daisy sits beside Mackenzie, whose humming repels the dead, and endures her final class of the day.
Ms. Kurukulasuriya introduces herself, notes Daisy and Josie as new students, and repeatedly glances at Daisy during the lesson.
After class, Ms. Kuru asks Daisy to stay and reveals she knew Grace through piano lessons with Peter, Grace’s late brother-in-law.
Ms. Kuru learns that Daisy and Grace live in the bunkie while the main house is an Airbnb, and she expresses surprise and concern.
Ms. Kuru asks about Aunt Dione and gives Daisy a sticky note with her number, requesting that Grace call for dinner.
Daisy’s mother picks her up at the boat launch; Mom describes leaving guest items over the threshold to avoid entering the house.
Daisy relays Ms. Kuru’s message; Mom recognizes her as “Katie” but shows no interest.
Daisy asks about Helga, and Mom dismisses summer friendships as insignificant.
Daisy privately wonders about Katie’s relationship with her mother and how Katie knew to fear the house.

Character Development

Daisy continues to navigate her new life with a mix of cynicism and curiosity. Her internal monologue reveals a deep distrust of institutional expectations—she sees school as a place that breeds desperation and false ambition. Her thoughts about Noah show that she is still processing their breakup, but she also feels a sense of liberation in no longer wanting the things she once did. Her interaction with Ms. Kuru sparks a new interest in her mother’s past, and she becomes more observant, noting the teacher’s nervous gestures and the weight of her questions. Daisy’s decision to withhold details from her mother (like King’s condition) shows her growing independence and strategic silence.

Grace (Mom) is portrayed as pragmatic and evasive. She is focused on the Airbnb’s success and maintains a strict boundary with the house, refusing to cross the threshold. Her dismissal of Ms. Kuru’s invitation and her offhand comment about summer friendships suggest a deliberate effort to distance herself from her past. She also deflects Daisy’s questions about Helga, reinforcing her tendency to compartmentalize.

Ms. Kurukulasuriya (Katie) emerges as a figure from Grace’s past who carries a sense of concern and perhaps guilt. Her repeated glances at Daisy, her nervous hand-lacing, and her pointed question about whether Daisy is “doing okay” hint at unresolved history. She seems to know more about the house’s dangers than she lets on, and her request for Grace to call feels like an attempt to reconnect or warn.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

School as an oppressive institution: Daisy’s critique of school as a place that encourages desperate wanting and false ambition reflects her broader disillusionment with societal expectations.
Desire and ambition: Daisy contrasts her own lack of ambition with her mother’s relentless pursuit of better jobs, and she sees school as a machine that manufactures need.
Freedom: Daisy feels “almost free” without Noah, but she acknowledges that true freedom—perhaps from the house’s mysteries—remains out of reach.
Self-protection: The touch-me-not plant symbolizes Daisy’s instinct to fold inward when scrutinized, mirroring her guarded nature.
Threshold boundary: Mom’s practice of leaving items over the threshold without entering the house reinforces the idea that the house is a dangerous, forbidden space.
Mom’s hidden past: Ms. Kuru’s revelation and Mom’s evasive responses suggest that Grace has secrets about her summers at the property.
The supernatural dead: Mackenzie’s humming keeps the dead away, and Daisy’s visions of a drowning man highlight the persistent presence of the supernatural.
Summer friendships vs. real connections: Mom’s claim that you can’t be friends with people you only see in summer contrasts with Daisy’s own experience with Megan, raising questions about the depth of past relationships.
Isolation: Daisy’s solitary reflections and her mother’s refusal to engage with old acquaintances underscore the family’s emotional and physical isolation.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the mystery surrounding the house and Grace’s past. Ms. Kuru’s knowledge of Peter, her fear of the mansion, and her concern for Daisy’s well-being suggest that the house’s dangers are known to at least one person outside the family. The chapter also establishes a potential ally or source of information for Daisy, even as her mother remains closed off. Daisy’s growing curiosity about her mother’s history sets the stage for future revelations, and the threshold boundary reinforces the house’s supernatural threat. Additionally, Daisy’s reflections on freedom and ambition highlight her internal conflict as she tries to define her own path apart from Noah and her mother’s expectations.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Daisy sit next to Mackenzie in class, and what does this reveal about Daisy’s experience with the supernatural?

Daisy sits next to Mackenzie because Mackenzie’s humming keeps the dead away. This shows that Daisy is constantly plagued by supernatural visions and must take practical measures to avoid them, even in a mundane setting like a classroom. It also highlights her isolation—she has to rely on a stranger’s habit to find peace.

2. How does Ms. Kurukulasuriya’s reaction to Daisy’s living situation hint at the house’s danger?

Ms. Kuru is visibly panicked when she learns Daisy and Grace live on the property, and she asks if Daisy is “doing okay” there. Her nervous body language and her comment that Grace had a hard time during her summers suggest that the house holds traumatic or threatening memories. Her fear implies that the house’s dangers are real and known to those who have encountered them.

3. What does Mom’s dismissal of Ms. Kuru and Helga reveal about her character?

Mom’s refusal to engage with Ms. Kuru’s invitation and her statement that you can’t be friends with summer people show that she deliberately distances herself from her past. This suggests she is hiding something—perhaps trauma or guilt—and that she prefers to keep her old life sealed off, just as she avoids crossing the threshold of the house.