Good Dirt Chapter 97: Avery – Summary & 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
Chapter 97, set in September 2019, is told from Avery’s perspective. She is in Paris, having left Henry after the confrontation at the cottage. Avery reflects on her pattern of treating Henry as a goal to be achieved—similar to her drive to attend Yale Law and make partner by thirty. She recalls the night she walked out: Henry apologized and admitted he had moved on too quickly after Ebby. Avery felt a moment of tenderness but chose self‑respect and drove away. Now she rents a small apartment near Versailles and has requested a leave of absence from her law firm. She wants to study psychology, her original interest, but is afraid to tell her parents because they expect her to continue the family’s Ivy League legacy. Watching bees outside her window, she feels hope but also acknowledges the larger troubles in the world. The chapter ends with her turning back to her laptop, ready to research graduate programs.
Key Events
- Avery recalls her decision to leave Henry after he apologized and admitted he had moved on too quickly after Ebby.
- She remembers loading the rental SUV efficiently and driving away without looking back, proud of her self‑respect.
- Avery now lives in a rented attic apartment in a Paris suburb, having emailed her boss to take a leave of absence.
- She contemplates pursuing a graduate degree in psychology, switching careers from corporate law.
- She fears her parents’ disapproval because they value the family’s legacy at Ivy League schools.
- After checking news headlines about protests, bombings, and climate change, she watches bees floating above lavender and feels a glimmer of hope.
Character Development
Avery is at a turning point. Earlier in the novel, she was determined, ambitious, and willing to negotiate her way up the corporate ladder. Here she admits that her pursuit of Henry was another checkbox goal, much like her career path. Leaving Henry shows growth: she values herself enough to walk away from a relationship that was never fully hers. Yet she still struggles with the fear of disappointing her parents. Her decision to return to psychology signals a deeper search for meaning beyond prestige. The chapter reveals a quieter, more reflective side of Avery—one that is learning to sit with uncertainty.
Henry is absent from the present action but looms in Avery’s memories. Through her reflections we see his regret and his pattern of treating relationships as something to fix after the damage is done. Avery’s observation that Henry loved Ebby underscores the limits of her own relationship with him.
Ebby is mentioned as a person Avery might have been friends with under different circumstances. Avery recognizes that Ebby and Henry’s history was built on genuine love, and she respects Ebby’s strength in resisting Henry’s attempts to reconnect.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Self‑Discovery vs. Family Expectations. Avery’s central conflict is between the person she wants to become and the person her parents expect her to be. Her fear of telling them about her leave of absence and her new studies shows how deeply family legacy shapes identity.
The Courage to Change Direction. The chapter emphasizes that changing one’s mind is not weakness. Avery’s decision to leave Henry and to leave the partner track takes courage. She knows she might disappoint others, but she is learning to honor her own instincts.
Bees as Hope and Warning. The bees outside Avery’s window are a double symbol. On one hand, the news says bee populations are declining due to climate change, reflecting global trouble. On the other hand, the bees still flying above the lavender represent resilience and the possibility of renewal in small corners of the world.
The “Goal” Mentality. Avery reflects that she treated Henry like she treated Yale Law and the partner track—as a goal to be achieved. This motif of goal‑setting without questioning the goal’s true value runs through her arc.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 97 is pivotal for Avery’s character arc. It shows her making the difficult choice to walk away from a relationship that was never reciprocal and to step off the prescribed path of her family’s expectations. The chapter contrasts her professional assertiveness with her personal vulnerability, deepening our understanding of her. It also ties together threads from earlier chapters: the end of her relationship with Henry, her complicated feelings about Ebby, and her dormant passion for psychology. The final image of bees and the line “Now, where was she?” leave the chapter on a note of tentative hope—Avery is ready to begin again, even if she doesn’t yet know the exact next step.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Avery leave Henry, despite his apology? Avery realizes that her relationship with Henry was based on her treating him as a goal rather than a genuine partner. His apology, while sincere, confirms that he still loves Ebby. Avery chooses self‑respect over staying with someone who cannot fully commit to her.
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What does Avery fear about telling her parents she wants to study psychology? She fears losing their approval. Her parents are Ivy League graduates who value legacy and prestige. Avery worries that changing careers will be seen as a rejection of their values and of the opportunities they gave her.
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How does the chapter use the image of the bees to reflect Avery’s state of mind? The bees symbolize both the fragility of the world (environmental crisis) and the possibility of hope (they still thrive in her small garden). Similarly, Avery feels uncertain about her future but finds a small sense of possibility in her new apartment and her decision to pursue what truly interests her.