Chapter 20 (Chapter Eighteen): Mallory – 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

In July 2022 on Winthrop Island, Mallory and her children (Sam, Ida, Maisie) stay at Monk Adams’ family estate alongside her friend Paige and Paige’s daughters. Paige is in constant legal crisis over her husband Jake’s scandalous affair with a junior associate, which has attracted media attention. Monk offers Mallory a chance to talk without judgment, but she sidesteps the invitation.

Monk’s fiancée, Lennox “Lee” Lassiter, arrives unexpectedly. Lee is a wellness influencer and businesswoman who reveals she was Monk’s college girlfriend at Colby. She and Mallory have a strained beach conversation where Lee shares her history with Monk—how they reconnected when Monk’s father was dying—and expresses a desire to be friends.

Mallory learns more about Lee’s curated online persona and her push-pull with Monk. Meanwhile, Paige reveals that Jake’s mistress is pregnant and that she wants to move to Lola’s guesthouse next door. In a late-night conversation, Paige shows Mallory DNA results that indicate they are one-quarter Jewish. Mallory secretly researches the 1952 Cairo fire, connecting it to the Egyptian cobra bracelet her mother left her. The chapter closes with Mallory’s quiet devastation as she watches Monk and Lee together.

Key Events

Paige phones lawyers, cursing her husband Jake’s affair during a family barbecue preparation.
Monk invites Mallory to talk, but she deflects; he praises her integrity.
Lennox “Lee” Lassiter arrives at Seagrapes, announced as Monk’s fiancée.
Lee meets Sam and hugs him; Sam looks uncomfortable.
On the beach, Lee tells Mallory about her background: Colby, her father’s friendship with Monk’s dad, and how she and Monk reconnected after Buzzy Monk’s cancer diagnosis.
Lee reveals she was Monk’s girlfriend in college and that they broke up before the summer Mallory spent with Monk.
Mallory asks Monk about Lee; he confirms their past and says reuniting with Lee felt like coming home.
Paige shares that Jake’s mistress is pregnant and that she wants to move to Lola’s house to give Mallory space.
Paige shows Mallory a DNA profile indicating they are one-quarter Jewish.
Mallory researches the 1952 Cairo fire, linking it to the cobra bracelet.

Character Development

Mallory: Struggles with suppressed feelings for Monk while maintaining a composed, diplomatic front. Her detective instincts emerge as she connects the bracelet to the Cairo fire. She shows fierce loyalty to Paige.
Monk Adams: Opens up about his childhood, his mother’s recovery, and his desire for Sam to know his grandmother. He is protective and kind but oblivious to Mallory’s pain.
Paige: Moves from fury to raw vulnerability. She admits her marriage is over and questions her own identity, but remains resilient in planning a new living arrangement.
Lennox “Lee” Lassiter: Initially presents as warm and sisterly, but Mallory and Paige perceive a performative, controlling side. Lee’s narrative positions her as Monk’s destined love, yet her treatment of staff and her social media obsession hint at deeper insecurities.
Grace: The housekeeper shows emotional ties to Mallory and Monk; her crying suggests she senses the tension.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Secrets and Reckoning: The chapter repeatedly unveils hidden histories—Lee’s past with Monk, Jake’s affair pregnancy, Mallory’s unresolved feelings, and the DNA revelation of Jewish heritage.
The Cobra Bracelet: An heirloom that Mallory links to the 1952 Cairo fire, symbolizing a buried family past and possibly a traumatic event (Hannah’s burns).
Social Media vs. Reality: Lee’s curated brand contrasts with her harsh phone call to her employee and with Paige’s criticism of the damage influencer culture causes.
Belonging and Identity: Paige’s cry “We’re Jewish?” and Lee’s revelation of a “paternity incident” both probe the fragility of self-knowledge.
Class and Privilege: The “Harvard mafia” and Winthrop Island setting underscore the insular world of the Monks and Lassiters.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter Eighteen introduces the central romantic obstacle: Monk’s engagement to Lee, which shatters any hope of a reunion with Mallory. It deepens the parallel mysteries of Mallory’s mother’s past (the bracelet + Cairo fire) and Paige’s genetic surprise. The chapter also cements the theme of women enduring public humiliation and private grief, setting up a possible alliance between Mallory, Paige, and even Lola.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What does Lee reveal about her connection to Monk, and why does this shock Mallory?
Lee explains that she and Monk were college sweethearts at Colby, that their fathers were friends from Harvard, and that they reconnected when Monk’s father became ill. Mallory is stunned because she never knew Monk had a serious girlfriend before her, and she realizes Lee is the woman Monk was meant to marry—the role Mallory once hoped to fill.

2. How does Paige’s reaction to Lee inform the reader about Paige’s own state of mind?
Paige bitterly criticizes Lee’s Instagram persona and calls her a “narcissist,” projecting her own anger at the performative aspect of Jake’s affair. Paige’s fierce protectiveness of Mallory also reflects her need to control something in her own crumbling life.

3. What is the significance of the DNA results Paige shares with Mallory?
The discovery that they are one-quarter Jewish complicates Mallory’s understanding of her identity and ties into her investigation of her mother’s past. It also suggests that the family secrets hinted at by the bracelet and the Cairo fire may have deeper ethnic and historical roots.