Chapter 27 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

⚠️ 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 Jo calling Dr. McCarter from a gas station, telling him she is on her way back to Chicago. She has decided to abandon the search for her mother, feeling that she cannot help someone who never wanted her involvement. McCarter, however, has news: investigators have found no accelerants or signs of foul play in the fire at the Homestead, but the fire had multiple points of origin, leading authorities to suspect insurance fraud. Jo immediately understands the implication—her mother may have started the fire herself. McCarter advises her to manage the press carefully, noting that the department has received interview requests and that this kind of publicity is unwelcome. He also makes a remark about her mother's mental health, which Jo sharply rejects, insisting her mother does not have mental health issues. She hangs up, feeling both defensive and uneasy.

Tom is waiting for her when she turns around. He confronts her about giving up the search, asking about the notebook and her curiosity. Jo deflects, expressing concern that Tom's planned book about the Homestead will derail her career and drag her into scandal. She tells him she needs to do damage control, not publicize murder and Fiona's powers. She also reveals her belief that her mother never wanted her involved, citing that her mother even told Tom to keep her out of it. Tom argues that Margaret might be in danger, but Jo insists Margaret can take care of herself. After a tense exchange, Tom concedes that it's her choice.

In the car, Cate asks Jo to return her mother's belongings—the letter and the photo Jo had taken. Jo hands over the marble-bound notebook, but as she does, a photo slips out. It shows Lily-Anne, heavily pregnant, with a framed Time cover visible in the background. Jo notices the cover and asks if anyone knows when the Time Women of the Year cover ran. Isabelle immediately identifies it as January 1976, explaining she has seen that exact frame in a movie she watches weekly. Jo is stunned because Fiona was born in April 1975, making the pregnancy in the photo impossible—Lily-Anne could not have been pregnant with Fiona at that time. Cate adds that 1975 was International Women's Year, and her mother had hated the Time article. The group realizes this suggests a tenth pregnancy, one they had never heard of. Tom notes that such a pregnancy would have been front-page news. Cate suggests asking Patricia, but Isabelle refuses to go home. Cate then suggests Barbara, who is in the photo, but the Kims live in North Carolina, a long detour. Tom offers an alternative: another Homesteader, Vera Stroud, lives nearby in upstate New York, in a town called Kithira. The chapter ends with this new lead.

Key Events

Jo calls Dr. McCarter and announces her return to Chicago.
McCarter reveals the fire investigation found no accelerants but multiple points of origin, suggesting insurance fraud.
Jo realizes her mother may have started the fire, and she rejects McCarter's comments about her mother's mental health.
Tom confronts Jo about abandoning the search; she worries about her career and her mother's rejection.
Cate asks for her mother's belongings, and Jo returns the notebook.
A photo falls out showing Lily-Anne pregnant with a Time cover dated January 1976.
Isabelle identifies the cover, and the group realizes the timeline is impossible—Fiona was born in April 1975.
They discuss the possibility of a tenth pregnancy, which none of the Homesteaders had ever mentioned.
Tom suggests visiting Vera Stroud, another Homesteader, in upstate New York.

Character Development

Jo is at a crossroads. She has decided to return to her lab and her career, but the decision is fraught. She feels anger toward her mother for shutting her out, and she struggles with the idea that her mother may have deliberately drawn her into a scandal. Her conversation with McCarter reveals her defensiveness about her mother's mental health, even as she privately acknowledges her mother's erratic behavior. The discovery of the photo reignites her curiosity, and she finds herself excited by the collaborative investigation with Cate and Isabelle—something she hasn't experienced at the university. This moment marks a shift: despite her intention to leave, the mystery pulls her back in.

Tom serves as a foil to Jo's retreat. He is committed to uncovering the truth, both for his book and for Margaret's safety. His confrontation with Jo highlights his belief in the importance of the search, but he ultimately respects her choice. He also becomes the one to propose the new lead, showing his continued investment in the investigation.

Cate and Isabelle contribute crucial knowledge. Cate's request for her mother's belongings leads to the photo's discovery, and her memory of International Women's Year helps date the cover. Isabelle's familiarity with the Time cover from a movie provides the exact date, demonstrating her sharp observational skills. Their collaboration with Jo suggests a growing bond among the daughters of the Homestead.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Arson as a repeated pattern: The fire at the Homestead echoes the earlier fire that killed Bellanger. Jo notes that her mother used the same tactic to disrupt her work, suggesting a pattern of destruction tied to the Homestead's secrets.
Insurance fraud and suspicion: The investigation's conclusion points to possible insurance fraud, casting doubt on Lily-Anne's motives and adding a layer of criminality to her disappearance.
Mother-daughter estrangement: Jo's anger at her mother's rejection is central. She feels her mother never wanted her involved, and this fuels her decision to leave. The chapter explores the pain of being shut out.
Hidden past and timeline discrepancy: The photo reveals a pregnancy that should not exist, implying a hidden tenth pregnancy. This discrepancy challenges the known history of the Homestead and suggests that the mothers concealed significant events.
Secrecy and withholding information: The chapter emphasizes how much the mothers kept from their daughters. Jo's realization that her mother planned to keep her out of the investigation mirrors the larger secrecy surrounding the Homestead.
Scientific legacy versus family ties: Jo's career is pitted against her family's troubled history. She fears that Tom's book will derail her work, and she must choose between her future and her past.
Collaboration and curiosity: Jo's excitement at working with Cate and Isabelle contrasts with her isolation at the university. The chapter suggests that collaboration is necessary to uncover the truth.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel. Jo's decision to return to Chicago seems to close the search, but the discovery of the photo—and the impossible timeline—reopens the mystery and gives her a new reason to continue. The revelation of a possible tenth pregnancy expands the scope of the Homestead's secrets, suggesting that the known history is incomplete. The chapter also deepens Jo's character, showing her internal conflict between her career and her family, and it sets up the next phase of the investigation by introducing Vera Stroud as a potential source of information. The themes of secrecy, arson, and mother-daughter estrangement are reinforced, and the chapter ends with a sense of renewed purpose.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Jo decide to return to Chicago, and what changes her mind?

Jo decides to return because she feels she cannot help her mother, who never wanted her involvement. She is also concerned about her career and the scandal. However, the discovery of the photo showing Lily-Anne pregnant in 1976, when Fiona was already born, creates a timeline discrepancy that suggests a hidden pregnancy. This mystery reignites her curiosity and makes her reconsider leaving, setting up the decision to visit Vera Stroud.

2. What does the fire investigation reveal, and how does it affect Jo's perception of her mother?

The investigation finds no accelerants or foul play, but multiple points of origin suggest insurance fraud. Jo realizes this implies her mother may have started the fire. This aligns with her earlier suspicion that her mother used arson to disrupt Bellanger's work, and it deepens her sense of betrayal and confusion about her mother's motives.

3. How does the chapter use the Time cover to advance the plot?

The Time cover, dated January 1976, is visible in a photo of Lily-Anne pregnant. Since Fiona was born in April 1975, the pregnancy cannot be Fiona. This leads the group to hypothesize a tenth pregnancy, which was never mentioned. The discrepancy challenges the known history of the Homestead and provides a new lead—visiting Vera Stroud, who might know more.

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