Chapter summaries More Than Enough Anna Quindlen

More Than Enough Chapter 17 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

While cleaning up after Easter dinner, Polly asks her friend Emily for advice about what to do after hearing the “sweater lady” Barbara Burton say a friend should see a doctor. Emily already knows about the conversation through the family grapevine and dismisses the “healer” label with deep skepticism. The conversation is interrupted by Sophia’s stomachache. Later, at the fertility clinic waiting room, Polly discusses the same dilemma with her husband Mark. Mark suggests Polly already got the desired result: Sarah saw a doctor and got good reports. Polly reflects on how meeting Mark was possible only because of Sarah, recalling how Mark forgot his coat at a fundraiser and Sarah later helped him contact Polly. In the clinic, nurse Jeannine ushers them into Dr. Betz’s office for “The Talk.” Dr. Betz explains that their options have narrowed—more egg retrievals are unlikely to work, embryo donation is a possibility, and surrogacy with or without donor eggs is suggested. Polly feels empty and resists these ideas. After the appointment, Mark takes them to a brew bar, ordering comfort food. Polly bitterly imagines becoming a childless couple whose friends envy their freedom, then breaks down crying. A waitress offers a simple consolation: “it all comes out in the wash.”

Key Events

  • Polly asks Emily what she would do about Barbara Burton’s claim that Sarah should see a doctor.
  • Emily reveals she already knows via family gossip and expresses disdain for self-described healers.
  • Polly and Mark sit in the fertility clinic waiting room while Mark monitors his Bronx Zoo work on his phone.
  • Dr. Betz and Jeannine deliver “The Talk”: further IVF attempts are unlikely to succeed; surrogacy and embryo donation are discussed.
  • Polly resists the idea of surrogacy and donor eggs, feeling empty.
  • Mark orders a large comfort-food meal at a brew bar, and Polly cries while imagining their future as childless.
  • A waitress offers a reassuring platitude.

Character Development

Polly confronts her deep fear of a childless future. Her earlier avoidance of hard truths about fertility transforms into raw grief and anger. She also struggles with how to handle the Barbara Burton information, showing her desire to protect Sarah while doubting an alternative healer’s credibility. Her memory of meeting Mark reinforces Sarah’s role as the matchmaker, making the potential loss of having a child with Mark even more poignant.

Mark remains steady and supportive, ordering food to comfort Polly, but also demonstrates his own emotional vulnerability by turning a spoon in his hand. His calm analysis of the Barbara Burton situation (Polly achieved the goal without direct confrontation) shows his pragmatic love.

Emily reinforces her skeptical, no-nonsense personality, especially toward alternative medicine. Her sharp comments about “woo-woo” practices and her ability to handle family chaos without losing her edge reveal a close but clear-eyed friendship with Polly.

Dr. Betz embodies the compassionate but honest professional, willing to have “The Talk” rather than prolong false hope.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • The Healer vs. Modern Medicine: Barbara Burton’s self-identification clashes with Emily’s medical cynicism, highlighting tensions between alternative and conventional healthcare.
  • The Fertility Clinic as Liminal Space: The waiting room and Dr. Betz’s office represent a turning point where hope and reality confront each other.
  • Food as Comfort: Mark’s order of cheeseburgers, fries, shakes, and onion rings symbolizes a retreat to simple pleasures when words fail. Polly’s desire for a shot and beer later echoes her sudden freedom from fertility restrictions.
  • The “Matched Set” Vision: Polly’s fantasy of the childless couple traveling to Paris underscores a fear of being defined by what she lacks, not by what she has.
  • Family Grapevine: The rapid spread of information through Douglas, Tess, and Lou illustrates the inescapable interconnectedness of Polly’s social world.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks the emotional low point of Polly’s fertility journey. Dr. Betz’s “Talk” forces Polly and the reader to accept that biological motherhood may never happen. The parallel with the Barbara Burton subplot shows Polly’s tendency to fixate on external influences (healers, tests) when the real obstacle is internal. The chapter also solidifies Mark and Polly’s partnership as they face hard truths together, and the final diner scene humanizes their grief. It reframes the book’s title question: More Than Enough may refer to love, not children.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Polly hesitate to tell Sarah directly about Barbara Burton’s comment?
Polly fears that confronting Sarah with the “healer’s” advice would either cause unnecessary worry or come across as meddling. She also seems conflicted about trusting an outsider’s medical opinion over Sarah’s own doctors. Mark later points out that Sarah already took the desired action—getting a checkup—so Polly may have subconsciously achieved her goal without direct confrontation.

2. What is “The Talk” that Dr. Betz gives, and how does Polly react?
Dr. Betz explains that further IVF rounds are unlikely to succeed given past lab results and Polly’s age. She offers options like embryo donation and surrogacy (with or without donor eggs). Polly experiences a visceral sense of emptiness; she cannot embrace surrogacy or adoption comfortably, feeling that any path feels alien. Her mind “does a sharp U-turn” away from these options, and she later vents bitterly about becoming a stereotypical childless couple.

3. How does the memory of Mark’s lost coat connect to the chapter’s emotional arc?
Polly recalls that Mark forgot his coat at a fundraiser and walked home in the cold, then later contacted her through Sarah. That accidental loss led to their marriage. In the clinic waiting room, Polly says, “Thank God you forgot your coat,” and Mark replies, “You’re telling me.” This memory highlights how life’s unpredictability can bring great gifts—contrasting with the current disappointment. It also reinforces Sarah’s pivotal role in their union, making the possibility of a childless future even more bittersweet.