Chapter 17: Visiting Farrah – Unearthing the Roots of Madness

⚠️ 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

Elizabeth and Latoya visit Farrah, the mother of missing dancer Brittany. Farrah lives in a controlled, dimly lit room, her madness evident in her repetitive, childlike behavior. After Latoya calms her, Liz asks Farrah what she saw in the woods. Farrah speaks of Brittany being “a star” and warns that “you have to let the dark in” to find the truth. During their forehead-to-forehead exchange, Liz feels something invasive in her eye, triggering a panic. Farrah unravels, and the visit ends abruptly.

On the porch afterward, Latoya reveals a buried piece of Johnstown’s history: in the early 20th century, the town expelled about two thousand Black residents in a week, with crosses burned on the hills. She connects this erasure to the recent disappearances of Black girls like Brittany, Morgan, and Kylie. Latoya admits she no longer wants to know why, because the answer won’t bring her daughter back, and she drives away, leaving Liz alone.

Key Events

Liz and Latoya arrive at Farrah’s family home, where her mother Gerri greets them.
Farrah’s room is stripped of hiding places, brightly lit but with curtains drawn.
Farrah initially seems distant, then becomes sharp when asked about Brittany.
She tells Liz: “Brittany is a star. That’s why they took her.”
Farrah places her forehead against Liz’s and speaks about the dark.
A lamp explodes; Liz feels something cold in her eye and checks the window.
Farrah panics, believing she must find Brittany, and is calmed by Gerri.
Latoya tells Liz about the 1920s banishment of Black people from Johnstown, including the burning of ten crosses.
Latoya explains that the missing girls—Brittany, Morgan, Kayla, Kylie—were all connected to community activism or excellence.
Latoya refuses to continue investigating, saying it won’t bring Morgan back, and leaves Liz.

Character Development

Elizabeth (Liz): Shows determination to uncover the truth, even when it means confronting a deeply disturbed woman. The physical sensation in her eye hints that she is becoming attuned to the supernatural presence in the woods. She is also confronted with a history she never learned.
Latoya: Moves from reluctant helper to a source of historical knowledge. Her decision to stop seeking answers reveals her exhaustion and the heavy toll of grief. She prioritizes survival over justice.
Farrah: Portrayed as a victim of trauma rather than simply “mad.” Her lucid moments show a mother still fighting for her daughter, but the system has failed her. The chapter suggests her madness is a rational response to the world’s indifference.
Gerri: A protective, skilled mother who manages Farrah’s episodes with practiced care. She represents generational resilience in the face of loss.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Erased history: Latoya’s story about the banishment of two thousand Black residents parallels the current disappearances. Systemic violence is repeated and forgotten.
Light versus dark: Farrah’s room is over-lit to prevent shadows, yet the dark she speaks of is internal and cannot be banished. The blowing lamp symbolizes the intrusion of that darkness.
Eyes as portals: Liz feels something enter her eye, and Farrah searches Liz’s eyes. The motif of seeing/not seeing connects to the idea that looking makes the predator real.
Madness as trauma, not supernatural: Liz reflects that “nothing in the woods made her go ‘mad.’ The indifference of the world did that.” The true horror is societal neglect.
Targeted culling: Latoya notes that the missing girls were all bright and connected to community strength. The abductions are not random but a deliberate attack on Black excellence.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter shifts the novel’s focus from a simple missing-persons mystery to a systemic horror rooted in American racial violence. By connecting the present-day disappearances to the town’s forgotten banishment of Black residents, Adams broadens the scope from individual trauma to collective, intergenerational grief. Latoya’s decision to stop searching underscores the despair that results from living in a country that refuses to see your pain. Liz is now positioned at a crossroads: she can pursue the truth alone, even if it breaks her, or she can follow Latoya into silence.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Latoya refuse to continue investigating after telling Liz about the banishment? Latoya explains that even if she learns the “why,” it won’t bring Morgan back. She has lived long enough in a country where Black lives are systematically erased, and she believes seeking justice is a futile act that would only deepen her wounds.
What does Farrah mean when she says, “To find what’s in the dark, you have to let it in”? Farrah suggests that accessing the truth about the woods requires a willingness to confront evil directly, even to the point of allowing it to penetrate one’s own mind or body. Liz’s subsequent eye sensation literalizes this idea.
How does Latoya’s history lesson connect to the disappearances of the girls? Latoya reveals that Johnstown previously expelled two thousand Black residents in a week—an act of erasure that mirrors the present-day abductions. The girls who have gone missing (Brittany, Morgan, Kayla, Kylie) were all active in their community or excelled in their fields, suggesting they were targeted because they represented Black vitality and progress.