Chapter Seventeen: Remembering Mom – A Walk with Fiona
⚠️ 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
Since arriving at the Meier clinic, the narrator has dreamed about her mother every night. She recalls being fourteen when Mary Smith died of ovarian cancer, while her older sister Brigid avoided being home. The narrator became her mother’s caregiver and confidante. Mary Smith often spoke of how precious life is and nicknamed the narrator “Hummingbird” because she was always in motion. The narrator got a hummingbird tattoo behind her hip. One day, she shares these dreams with Dr. Ludwig, who suggests she wants her mother to be strong and present. On an afternoon walk, she meets Fiona Mills, a British patient with ovarian cancer. They walk together, sharing stories about their dying parents and their own cancer battles. Fiona reveals this is her last visit to Meier and she has only weeks or months left. The narrator tells Fiona she is a lawyer from New York and plans to ask the judge to speed up her upcoming murder trial. They make promises to value every hour. Fiona says good-bye at the elevator, and the narrator watches her go.
Key Events
- The narrator describes her mother’s final illness and her role as caregiver at age fourteen.
- Her mother’s love of hummingbirds and the origin of the “Hummingbird” nickname.
- The narrator shows Dr. Ludwig a dream about her mother; he interprets it as a wish for her mother’s strength and presence.
- While walking on a Meier trail, the narrator catches up to a woman in a rainbow bandana named Fiona Mills.
- Fiona shares that she has ovarian cancer, that this is her final visit, and that doctors cannot determine if she has weeks or months.
- The narrator reveals she is a lawyer with an upcoming murder trial and intends to ask for an earlier start date.
- Fiona asks the narrator whether her work makes her happy and whether she has opened her heart completely to the man in her life.
- At the clinic entrance, Fiona says good-bye, explaining she can only allow one good-bye per customer, and asks the narrator to remember her promises.
Character Development
- Jane (the narrator): This chapter reveals Jane’s deep bond with her late mother and how that early loss shaped her resilience and independence. She acknowledges that her work as a lawyer makes her feel immortal, yet she also admits she has not fully opened her heart to her current partner, Dr. Ben. Her willingness to slow down and connect with Fiona shows a softer, more vulnerable side.
- Fiona Mills: A woman facing the end of her life, Fiona embodies grace, honesty, and urgency. She uses her remaining time to make meaningful connections and encourages Jane to live fully. Her British humour and directness provide a counterpoint to Jane’s guardedness.
- Mary Smith (deceased): Even though she appears only in memory, Mary’s wisdom—that life is precious and that regrets are small—echoes throughout the chapter and influences Jane’s present decisions.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
- The hummingbird: A symbol of constant motion, energy, and the preciousness of life. Jane’s tattoo and nickname connect her to her mother’s love and to the idea that she must keep moving, even when facing cancer.
- Dreams as connection: Jane’s dreams of her mother are not sad; they bring her comfort and a sense of her mother’s presence. They mirror Fiona’s dreams of her father.
- The value of time: Both Fiona and the narrator’s mother stress that each hour is precious. Fiona’s approach of treating every sunset as rare drives home the theme of mortality and mindfulness.
- Caregiving roles: Jane’s history as her mother’s caregiver foreshadows her current role as a patient who still cares for others (like Fiona) and wants to control her own timeline.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 17 provides essential backstory for the protagonist, explaining her fierce independence, her drive to work obsessively, and her difficulty with close relationships. It also introduces a fleeting but profound friendship that forces her to confront her own mortality and the choices she makes. The conversation with Fiona echoes the advice Jane’s mother gave her, reinforcing the novel’s central question: how should one live when time is limited?
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does the hummingbird symbolize for the narrator?
The hummingbird represents constant motion and vitality. Her mother nicknamed her “Hummingbird” because she was always busy, and Jane later got a tattoo of one. In the context of her cancer diagnosis, the symbol reminds her to keep moving forward and to find meaning in action.
2. How does the conversation with Fiona change the narrator’s perspective on her work and her relationship?
Fiona asks whether the narrator’s work makes her happy and whether she has opened her heart completely to the man she loves. The narrator admits she still keeps secrets from him. Fiona’s directness pushes her to reconsider what truly matters, prompting her to ask the judge to speed up her trial—an act that prioritises living fully over routine legal strategy.
3. What promises does the narrator make to Fiona, and why are they significant?
The narrator promises to approach every hour as if it were one of a few sunsets—to value time as precious. She also promises not to forget that lesson. The promises are significant because they link her mother’s final advice, her own survival, and her new friend’s wisdom; they become a code she struggles to uphold through the rest of the story.