Chapter 5 Summary: Lucy and William Settle Into 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
The chapter opens on the first day of May with an unexpected snowstorm in Maine. Lucy expresses her hatred of snow, and William returns from a walk with wet shoulders and soaked sneakers. He tells her he visited a nearby tower, which he has researched: it was built during World War II to watch for German submarines. He recounts that German spies once came ashore along the Maine coast and made their way to New York City, where they were caught and sentenced to death before having their sentences commuted. William reflects that the threat was real, though few remember it now.
This leads Lucy to recall William's family history: his father was a German soldier captured in France and sent to a Maine potato farm as a prisoner of war, where he fell in love with the farmer's wife, Catherine. Catherine eventually left her husband and baby daughter to run off with the POW. William never knew about this half-sister, Lois Bubar, until the previous year.
A few days later, Lucy receives an email forwarded by her publicist from Lois Bubar. Lois writes that she has been thinking of Lucy and William during the pandemic, expresses regret that she did not agree to meet William, and wishes them well. Lucy shows the email to William, who is visibly moved and spends the afternoon drafting a reply. Meanwhile, Lucy is preoccupied with her daughter Becka, who has left her husband Trey. Becka reports that she is doing better, has resumed therapy, and says Trey was jealous of Lucy's career and that his poetry is bad. William dismisses Trey as an “asswipe” and says Becka's life has been saved.
Lucy notices a bright yellow dandelion on her walk and is struck by its beauty, recalling how she picked dandelions for her mother as a child. Bob Burgess visits with his wife Margaret, a Unitarian minister. Margaret is initially nervous but warms up, and the four sit socially distanced in lawn chairs. That night, William comes to Lucy's room and reads her his email to Lois, which expresses regret and sorrow that their mother never told him about his sister. Lois has already replied, saying she understands and signs with love. William seems troubled, and Lucy asks if it is about his past affair with Pam Carlson. He admits he wishes he had been more like Bob Burgess, and they talk for hours about old acquaintances.
Lucy becomes attuned to the tides, finding comfort in their rhythm. She feels Becka pulling away, and has a dream in which her deceased friend Elsie Waters visits and then leaves through a door that Lucy understands to be death. William is unresponsive to the dream, which annoys her.
One morning, Bob joins Lucy on a walk. He tells her about his father's death—a car accident when Bob was four, for which he long blamed himself until his brother Jim revealed he had been the one playing with the gears. Bob also mentions his brother's famous defense of singer Wally Packer, and Lucy naively asks if Jim knew Wally was innocent. Bob gently explains that defense attorneys often avoid asking that question. Lucy feels foolish, but Bob reassures her that she is not stupid about the human heart. They become closer, and later Margaret joins them for a river walk with William.
William continues to visit the guard tower and returns glum. Lucy notices his mood but does not press. One evening, William reveals a long-held secret: he had prostate cancer in late October, had surgery, and the operation left him impotent and incontinent. He tells Lucy he never told anyone except his friend Jerry, who was with him in the hospital. Lucy is shocked and deeply sorry. She realizes this explains his distance and his lack of interest in her dream.
A little past mid-May, William receives a call from Chrissy: Melvin and Barbara are returning from Florida and plan to stay with the family, despite the pandemic and Michael's asthma. William is furious and decides to drive to Connecticut to intervene. He and Lucy leave early the next morning, wearing masks, and meet the children outside. They persuade Melvin to quarantine at Barbara's mother's empty condo for two weeks, using a bluff about a New York Times reporter. The family says goodbye without hugging, and Becka cries. On the drive home, Lucy tells William she senses Chrissy is pregnant, and she has a vision that Melvin has the virus. Four days later, Melvin is hospitalized with Covid for ten days; Barbara and her mother also contract it but recover.
The chapter ends with Lucy watching a news segment about garment workers in Bangladesh, which makes her see the truth in Becka's critique of Bloomingdale's. She reflects on the impossibility of knowing the last time she picked up her children, and how the pandemic makes every moment feel uncertain.
Key Events
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William walks to a World War II submarine guard tower and tells Lucy about German spies on the Maine coast.
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Lois Bubar, William's half-sister, emails Lucy and expresses regret; William writes back and receives a warm reply.
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Becka leaves Trey and begins to recover, though she grows distant from Lucy.
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Lucy spots a dandelion and feels a surge of hope.
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Bob and Margaret Burgess visit; Margaret reveals she is a Unitarian minister.
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William confesses he had prostate cancer surgery in October, leaving him impotent and incontinent, and that he kept it secret.
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William and Lucy drive to Connecticut to convince Melvin to quarantine; they succeed.
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Lucy intuits Chrissy's pregnancy and has a vision that Melvin has the virus.
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Melvin is hospitalized with Covid for ten days.
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Lucy watches a news report on Bangladeshi garment workers and reflects on materialism and global inequality.
Character Development
Lucy continues to navigate her grief over David's death and her complicated feelings toward William. Her emotional state is mirrored by the tides—she finds comfort in their predictability. She shows empathy for William after his confession, and her intuition (the vision about Melvin) proves reliable. Her reflection on “last times” reveals her deep maternal anxiety and her awareness of life's fragility.
William is revealed to be more vulnerable than Lucy had known. His secret cancer surgery explains his aloofness and his glumness after visiting the guard tower. His reconciliation with Lois shows a desire to confront family secrets, and his protective action toward Michael and the children demonstrates his capacity for decisive care. He also admits regret about his past behavior with Lucy, suggesting growth.
Becka emerges as more mature, having left an unhappy marriage and taken on meaningful work related to domestic abuse. Her critique of materialism and Bloomingdale's indicates a shift in values, though Lucy is surprised by it.
Bob Burgess becomes a trusted confidant for Lucy. His openness about his own family trauma and his gentle correction of her naivety about the Wally Packer case deepen their friendship. He offers Lucy a sense of being understood.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Dandelions appear as a symbol of hope and resilience. Lucy's reaction to the bright yellow flower—her heart opening with wonder—contrasts with the bleakness of the pandemic and the snow. They also connect to her childhood, suggesting continuity and small moments of joy.
The tides serve as a motif for Lucy's fluctuating emotions and the passage of time. She learns to read them, and they comfort her, providing a natural rhythm in a chaotic world.
The guard tower represents historical echoes of war and threat. William's fascination with it ties to his father's past as a German POW and to the idea of unseen dangers—much like the virus.
Secrets and vulnerability are central. William's hidden cancer, Lois's existence, Bob's childhood guilt, and even Lucy's intuition about Chrissy all involve things kept hidden or revealed. The chapter explores the cost of secrecy and the relief of confession.
Family intervention is shown through William's forceful but caring act to protect Michael and the children from Melvin's recklessness. It underscores the theme of responsibility and love.
Materialism and global inequality emerge through Becka's critique of Bloomingdale's and the news report on Bangladeshi workers. Lucy's guilt about her past enjoyment of such places reflects a growing awareness of privilege.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is pivotal for several reasons. It reveals William's major secret—his cancer and its aftermath—which humanizes him and explains his behavior throughout the novel. It also advances the reconciliation with his half-sister, offering a chance for healing. The rescue of Melvin and Barbara from potential infection demonstrates the family's protective bonds and sets up the later crisis of Melvin's hospitalization. Lucy's vision and her intuition about Chrissy's pregnancy highlight her perceptiveness and add a layer of mystery. Finally, the chapter deepens Lucy's friendship with Bob Burgess, which becomes a significant emotional anchor for her. The themes of secrecy, vulnerability, and the search for meaning in a pandemic are all brought to the fore.
Study Questions and Answers
- Why does William keep his prostate cancer and its aftermath a secret from his family?
William's secrecy stems from shame and a desire to protect his children from worry. He tells Lucy he never told anyone except Jerry, and he seems embarrassed by his physical limitations. His confession to Lucy is prompted by her casual question about washing jeans, suggesting he has been carrying this burden alone. The secret also reflects his difficulty with vulnerability, a trait Lucy has observed throughout their marriage.
- How does the dandelion function as a symbol in this chapter?
The dandelion appears at a moment when Lucy is feeling overwhelmed by the pandemic and Becka's situation. Its bright yellow color and soft head evoke wonder and hope, contrasting with the snow and cold. Lucy's memory of picking dandelions for her mother ties the flower to childhood innocence and simple joys. The dandelion thus symbolizes resilience and the possibility of beauty even in bleak times.
- What does Lucy's vision about Melvin suggest about her character?
Lucy has had visions before, and this one—a dark aura around Melvin and later a dark bird crossing the windshield—proves accurate when Melvin is hospitalized. It suggests that Lucy possesses an intuitive, almost preternatural sensitivity to the world around her. This ability aligns with her role as a writer and observer of human behavior. It also underscores her deep connection to her family and her anxiety about their safety, as the vision comes from her concern for Michael and the children.