Chapter 23: Saturday, 13 July – 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

Alix is woken at 3 a.m. by the doorbell. She finds Josie on her doorstep, face bruised and bloodied, accompanied by her dog Fred. Josie explains that her husband Walter attacked her after drinking, triggered by Nathan’s failure to attend dinner. Josie says Erin walked in and was also hit. Alix cleans Josie’s wounds and offers to call police or a hospital, but Josie refuses, insisting she cannot involve her mother or the authorities. Reluctantly, Alix allows Josie to stay the night. The next morning, Nathan returns home hungover. Josie confronts him, blaming his absence for the violence. Alix takes Fred for a walk and remembers Walter’s warnings that Josie isn’t who she seems – that she “likes to control things” and has an elastic relationship with the truth. While Alix is out, Nathan and Josie have a tense exchange. That evening, Josie retrieves a key from her bag and hides it under the mattress, accompanied by a flashback suggesting she may have been the aggressor against Walter.

Key Events

Josie shows up at Alix’s home at 3 a.m. with facial injuries, claiming Walter attacked her.
Alix cleans Josie’s wounds; Josie refuses medical care or police involvement.
Josie says Erin intervened and was struck by Walter.
Alix reluctantly lets Josie stay in the guest room.
Nathan returns home the next morning; Josie confronts him, blaming his absence for the attack.
Alix walks Fred and reflects on Walter’s earlier comments about Josie’s controlling nature and dishonesty.
Josie hides a key under the mattress, and a flashback hints she may have committed violence against Walter.

Character Development

Alix Summer: Her initial sympathy shifts to unease. She feels manipulated when Josie says “you have me” and later questions whether Josie’s oddness is innate rather than a product of her upbringing and marriage. She becomes protective of her family, hurrying home when she realizes her baby is alone with a stranger.
Josie Fair: Her portrayal becomes more ambiguous. Though she presents herself as a victim, her confrontation with Nathan reveals a sharp, accusatory side. The hidden key and flashback suggest she may be the perpetrator, not the victim – making her an unreliable narrator of her own story.
Nathan Summer: His continued irresponsibility (staying out all night) fuels the tension. He is defensive when challenged by Josie, but his brief moment of horror upon seeing her injuries hints at guilt.
Walter: Though not present in the chapter, his earlier descriptions of Josie gain weight, presenting an alternative version of events and deepening the mystery.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Unreliable Narration: This chapter deliberately blurs the line between victim and perpetrator. Josie’s account is contradicted by the flashback and Walter’s warnings, forcing readers to question whose story to believe.
Domestic Abuse as a Weapon: Josie weaponises the accusation of abuse to gain sympathy, invade Alix’s home, and control the narrative. The theme examines how truth can be manipulated in domestic conflicts.
The Key: The act of hiding the key under the mattress symbolises hidden truths and secrets that threaten to surface. It also implies a premeditated action, undercutting Josie’s victimhood.
Fred the Dog: Fred’s growling at Alix and Leon reflects the underlying hostility and discomfort Josie brings into the house. His behaviour mirrors the animal unease of the family.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 23 is a turning point. It introduces a major plot twist: Josie may have attacked Walter, not the other way around. Her arrival at Alix’s home is no longer a cry for help but potentially a calculated move to escape consequences. The chapter deepens the suspense and reframes earlier events, forcing readers to reinterpret Walter’s warnings and Josie’s entire backstory. It also raises the stakes for Alix, who now has a stranger with questionable motives under her roof.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does this chapter challenge the reader’s trust in Josie’s version of events?
The chapter presents two conflicting accounts. Josie says Walter attacked her after drinking, but Walter previously told Alix that Josie “likes to control things” and has an “elastic relationship with the truth.” The flashback at the end, in which Josie recalls “the heft of flesh and bone” and hides a key, implies she may have been the aggressor. This contrast forces readers to question which narrative is true.

2. What does Alix’s internal reaction to Josie’s claim “you have me” reveal about her state of mind?
When Josie says “I’ve got you,” Alix feels the “contents of her stomach curdle” and wants to say “No, you don’t have me.” This reaction shows that Alix is growing uncomfortable with Josie’s sense of entitlement and her invasion of the family’s private life. Yet Alix suppresses her instinct, highlighting her people-pleasing tendencies and her difficulty setting boundaries.

3. Why might Josie hide the key under the mattress, and what does the flashback suggest?
The key appears to be from the Fair home, taken during the attack. The flashback – which includes “the heft of flesh and bone, the splash and spatter of blood” and the dog snuffling at her head – strongly suggests Josie inflicted violence on Walter, not the reverse. Hiding the key implies she wants to prevent anyone from discovering the truth about what really happened.