Chapter 4 Summary: Lucy and William Settle Into Their New Life in Maine
⚠️ 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 Chapter Four, Lucy continues to adjust to life in Maine during the pandemic. She finds an old tablecloth in a closet and puts it on the dining table, a small act of homemaking. She thinks about her late husband David, feeling angry that he hasn't visited her in a dream, as other deceased loved ones have done. She and William watch news of mass graves on Hart Island, which deepens her sense of unreality.
William goes grocery shopping, and Lucy waits in the car. A woman yells at her, telling her to leave the state, and Lucy is shaken. When she tells William, he responds dismissively, and she later confronts him about his lack of sympathy. He explains that he only wanted to save her life, and that his own life matters little to him now.
They watch a sunset together, a moment of shared beauty. Bob Burgess brings Maine license plates and visits, and they sit on lawn chairs. Later, they walk on the rocks, see a guard tower, and Lucy finds a robin's egg, which she keeps. William gives her a sleep mask.
The chapter takes a dramatic turn when Becka calls, crying that her husband Trey is having an affair. William speaks to Trey on the phone, confronting him. William arranges for his driver Horik to bring Becka to Connecticut, where she quarantines in a guesthouse on Chrissy and Michael's property. Lucy calls this the first rescue story and notes that a second rescue arrives a month later, but neither succeeds. She becomes concerned about Bridget and calls Estelle.
Key Events
- Lucy finds an old tablecloth and puts it on the dining table. - She reflects on her late husband David, feeling angry that he hasn't visited her in a dream. - She and William watch news of mass graves on Hart Island. - William goes grocery shopping; Lucy waits in the car and is yelled at by a woman who tells her to leave the state. - Lucy confronts William about his lack of sympathy; he explains he only wanted to save her life. - They watch a sunset together. - Bob Burgess brings Maine license plates and visits. - They walk on rocks, see a guard tower, and Lucy finds a robin's egg. - William gives Lucy a sleep mask. - Becka calls, crying that her husband Trey is having an affair. - William confronts Trey on the phone. - William arranges for his driver Horik to bring Becka to Connecticut, where she quarantines in a guesthouse on Chrissy and Michael's property. - Lucy calls this the first rescue story and notes that a second rescue arrives a month later, but neither succeeds. - She becomes concerned about Bridget and calls Estelle.
Character Development
- Lucy: Her grief for David is complicated by anger because he hasn't appeared in her dreams. She feels isolated and overwhelmed by the pandemic. Her relationship with William is strained; she resents his lack of emotional responsiveness. She also shows vulnerability and a need for comfort. - William: He is practical and protective, focused on keeping Lucy safe. He shows a capacity for decisive action when Becka is in crisis, arranging her rescue. His confrontation with Trey reveals his bluntness and his own past infidelity. - Becka: She is devastated by Trey's affair, crying and humiliated. She turns to her parents for support. - Bob Burgess: He provides practical help (license plates) and a sense of connection, winking at Lucy.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Grief and anger: Lucy's anger at David for not visiting her in a dream. - Pandemic isolation: The sense of being underwater, the fear of the virus, the anti-New York sentiment. - Nature as solace: The sunset, the robin's egg, the walk on the rocks. - Rescue: The first rescue story of Becka, and the foreshadowing of a second. - Marital tension: Lucy's resentment of William, and Becka's crisis with Trey. - Dreams of the dead: Lucy's expectation that David should visit her.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens Lucy's emotional landscape, showing her grief and anger, and introduces a major plot development with Becka's marital crisis. It also establishes the motif of rescue, which will likely recur. The chapter highlights the strain of pandemic isolation on relationships and the importance of family support.
Study Questions and Answers
- Why is Lucy angry at David for not appearing in her dream?
Lucy expects that people who die will visit her in dreams, as they have done before. David's absence makes her feel abandoned and intensifies her grief, especially during the pandemic.
- What does the robin's egg symbolize in this chapter?
The robin's egg, found intact except for a small crack, represents beauty and fragility. It offers Lucy a moment of joy and wonder amid the bleakness, and she places it on the mantel as a keepsake.
- How does William's response to Becka's crisis reveal his character?
William takes charge, asking precise questions, confronting Trey, and arranging a safe rescue via his driver Horik. This shows his protective, practical side, and his ability to act decisively in a crisis, despite his emotional distance in other moments.