Chapter 66: Treasure – 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 in 2017 with Ebby finally telling Henry the truth about the day her brother Baz was killed. Ebby was playing hide-and-seek and had hidden upstairs near the landing when she heard an unfamiliar voice downstairs. She peered over the banister and saw two masked men in work overalls, one holding a gun to Baz. The man aggressively demanded, “Where is it?”—and Ebby instantly knew he meant “Old Mo,” a twenty-gallon stoneware jar that sat alone on a table in her father’s study. The jar was so significant that a historian friend of her parents had come to see it; ten-year-old Ebby believed it was the one truly valuable object in the house.

But Ebby never told her parents or the police what she had heard. When questioned, she claimed she only ran to the banister after hearing the gunshots. She was terrified that the men might discover she had seen them and come back to hurt her family. As she grew older, her fear turned into rage—rage at a history of kidnapping and theft that began with her enslaved ancestors and continued in the robbery that took her brother, her home, and her family’s sense of security. Alongside the rage, guilt festered: she was certain she could not have identified the intruders, but what if her account could have helped the investigation? At least the police would have known the jar was the target.

A year after the murder, Henry heard his father’s friend Harris mention the jar during a bridge game. Henry connected that to Ebby’s secret and realized that someone with knowledge of the jar’s value might have orchestrated its theft—or even arranged a ransom. Harris worked in insurance as an executive and shareholder; he would know about such schemes. Yet Henry could not confront him without risking social awkwardness. Henry also reflects on his relationship with Ebby. She understood him better than anyone, knowing how much he hated confrontation and how he had bowed to his father’s pressure to enter banking instead of pursuing art. She also knew about his mother’s objections to him marrying “outside of the community.” Ebby, Henry thought, could have predicted his next move.

On the night before his wedding to Ebby, Henry reasoned his way out of showing up: the jar was gone, the robbers had fled empty-handed, Baz was already dead and could not be brought back, and Ebby would eventually find someone else. Breathing easier, he drove away. Now, seeing Ebby again by the river at the cottage, Henry feels nostalgia and deep embarrassment. He had thought that losing Ebby was the price he paid for backing out. But he now understands the true cost is not the what but the how—the manner in which he handled things. He has taken himself down a notch as a man.

Key Events

• Ebby reveals to Henry that during the home invasion she hid upstairs and heard an intruder demand “Old Mo,” the valuable jar.
• She admits she never disclosed this to her parents or the police, out of fear and later guilt.
• Henry recalls hearing Harris mention the jar at a bridge game, making him suspect Harris may be linked to the theft.
• Henry reflects on his own cowardice: he abandoned Ebby on their wedding night, rationalizing it as the easier path.
• Years later, confronted by Ebby’s presence, Henry recognizes the true cost of his failure—not just losing her, but the dishonorable way he did it.

Character Development

Ebby: This chapter deepens Ebby’s backstory. Her childhood terror evolved into rage and guilt over her silence. She carries the burden of a secret that shaped her family’s tragedy, revealing profound resilience and vulnerability.

Henry: Henry’s interior conflict comes to the fore. He is torn between suspicion about Harris and his own discomfort with confrontation. His decision to abandon Ebby is presented not as a single act but as a pattern of taking the easier way. The chapter shows his belated self-awareness and shame, marking a turning point in his moral reckoning.

Harris (mentioned): Though not directly present, Harris looms as a possible suspect or insider, connecting the jar’s value to potential criminal knowledge.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Hidden Truths: Ebby’s secret about hearing the demand for the jar is a central mystery that now begins to surface. The chapter emphasizes how unspoken truths fester and influence lives for years.

Guilt and Silence: Both Ebby and Henry struggle with guilt born of omissions. Ebby’s silence about the intruders’ words; Henry’s silence about his suspicions and his actions.

Heritage and Theft: The jar “Old Mo” symbolizes the tangible legacy of Ebby’s ancestors, stolen from them in the past and now violently targeted again. The motif of theft—of life, property, heritage—runs through the chapter.

Moral Courage vs. Cowardice: Henry’s internal monologue contrasts his failure to act (both in confronting Harris and in showing up for his wedding) with the kind of person Ebby believed he could be.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 66 is a pivotal disclosure point. It reveals the true object of the home invasion and the reason Baz was killed, transforming a random crime into a targeted theft. Ebby’s long-held secret adds layers of tragedy and guilt to her story. For Henry, the chapter crystallizes his character flaw—his avoidance of hard truths—and sets the stage for a possible redemption or further failure. The jar’s significance as a historical artifact also deepens the novel’s exploration of how past violence echoes into the present.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why did Ebby keep her observation of the intruders a secret?
Ebby was terrified that the masked men might learn she had seen them and return to harm her and her parents. As she grew up, fear gave way to rage and guilt, but she never found the courage to speak about what she had heard.

2. What does Henry’s reasoning on the night before his wedding reveal about his character?
Henry rationalized abandoning Ebby by telling himself the jar was gone, Baz was dead, and Ebby would find someone else. This shows his tendency to avoid difficult confrontations and take what he perceives as the easiest path, even at great emotional cost to others.

3. How does the jar “Old Mo” function as a symbol in this chapter?
Old Mo represents the tangible heritage of Ebby’s ancestors—a piece of American stoneware with historical value. Its targeted theft connects the violent crime to a broader pattern of dispossession and highlights how objects of cultural significance can become targets for greed.

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