Chapter 23: Wales — Summary, Analysis, and Study Notes

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

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Summary

In 2022, Branwen secures an out-of-hours appointment with her therapist, Dr. Chiang, in Abergavenny. Arden drives her there and waits in the empty waiting room, giving Branwen a tight smile as she enters the office alone. The session is the longest they've been apart since Arden agreed to let her live, but he shows no visible concern about her speaking to a third party.

Inside, Branwen is struck by the familiar comfort of the office—the mahogany bookcases, the cream walls, and Dr. Chiang's warm, owl-like presence. She nearly collapses into the therapist's hug, overwhelmed by exhaustion, sadness, and fear. But as she settles, she remembers exactly why she stopped attending: the deepest source of her distress is the likelihood that she will die before seeing her sister Gracie recover. Dancing around that truth had become too exhausting.

For a moment, Branwen considers telling Dr. Chiang everything—the truth about her existence, the tether, Arden's threats. She imagines the relief of unburdening herself, but quickly dismisses the idea, fearing she'd be seen as mentally unstable and lose the chance to consent to a bone marrow harvest. She also briefly contemplates accusing Arden of abuse, hoping the police might detain him long enough for her to escape, but she knows the tether would lead him back to her anyway.

Instead, she decides to walk a tightrope between truth and omission. Her real goal is to convince Dr. Chiang to help arrange an earlier bone marrow harvest and to persuade Dr. Chiang's wife—a surgeon—to take on the procedure pro bono. Branwen shares just enough of her fear to seem credible: she describes her terror of leaving the house, her sleeplessness, her fear of choking, and her worry that Gracie's recent infection—which forced more chemo and delayed the transplant—might worsen overnight. She lets tears fall, partly genuine and partly calculated, hoping they will sway the therapist.

Dr. Chiang listens with professional composure, offering comfort and validating Branwen's feelings as logical responses to a terrifying situation. But when Branwen directly asks whether Dr. Chiang's wife might know someone willing to take on a pro bono patient, the therapist grows suspicious. She asks if that is why Branwen returned. Branwen admits it is. Dr. Chiang declines, explaining that arranging such a procedure would validate Branwen's anxieties about dying in a freak incident, and notes that her wife is too busy anyway.

The rest of the session passes in a haze of disappointment. Branwen is shocked that her plan failed, a blow to her perpetual hope. Yet the candle of hope in her chest—the one Arden once remarked upon—sputters but does not extinguish.

Key Events

Branwen meets Dr. Chiang out of hours; Arden waits in the waiting room.
Branwen recalls why she stopped therapy: fear of dying before Gracie recovers.
She considers confessing everything or accusing Arden of abuse, but rejects both.
She attempts to persuade Dr. Chiang to arrange an earlier bone marrow harvest and pro bono surgery.
She reveals Gracie's recent infection and the delayed transplant.
Dr. Chiang asks if that's why Branwen returned; Branwen admits it.
Dr. Chiang declines, citing the need to avoid validating Branwen's anxieties.
The session ends in disappointment, but Branwen's hope persists.

Character Development

Branwen is caught between desperation and calculation. Her love for Gracie drives her to manipulate her therapist, a person she genuinely cares for, by exaggerating her fears and using tears as a tool. Yet her emotions are real—she is truly terrified, exhausted, and grieving. The chapter reveals her capacity for deception when survival and her sister's life are at stake, but also her vulnerability when that deception fails. Her internal debate about confessing everything shows a longing for relief that she cannot allow herself.

Arden remains a looming, controlling presence. He drives Branwen to the appointment and waits, but his tight smile suggests a quiet confidence that she won't betray him. His absence from the session underscores the power he holds over her, even when they are apart.

Dr. Chiang is portrayed as a compassionate professional who maintains firm boundaries. She offers warmth and wisdom—like her observation that bravery is carrying fear rather than letting it block the path—but she refuses to cross ethical lines. Her suspicion and eventual refusal highlight the limits of therapeutic help when a patient's request is rooted in a hidden agenda.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Fear of death and hope: Branwen's fear of dying before Gracie's recovery is the central driver of her actions. Her hope is a persistent flame that sputters but doesn't die, even after rejection.
Manipulation and deception: Branwen deliberately crafts her narrative to influence Dr. Chiang, using tears and exaggerated fears as tools. This contrasts with her genuine emotions, blurring the line between truth and performance.
Sacrifice and sisterly love: Branwen is willing to undergo a painful procedure without anaesthetic and to manipulate others to save Gracie, showing the lengths she'll go for her sister.
Practicing grief: Dr. Chiang warns against preemptively agonizing over loss, a concept that resonates with Branwen's lifelong habit of trying to prepare for loss.
Bravery and fear: Dr. Chiang's definition of bravery—carrying fear rather than letting it block the path—echoes Branwen's situation, though Branwen feels she is merely terrified, not brave.
The tether: Though not directly discussed, the tether is a constant undercurrent, reminding Branwen that escape is futile and reinforcing her desperation.
Control: Branwen tries to control her fate by manipulating the therapy session, but Dr. Chiang's refusal reminds her that some things are beyond her control.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens Branwen's characterization and the central conflict of her impossible situation. It shows her willingness to sacrifice her own integrity—by manipulating a trusted therapist—for the sake of her sister, while also revealing the limits of that strategy. The session with Dr. Chiang provides a rare moment of human connection and professional insight, yet it ultimately underscores Branwen's isolation: she cannot share the truth, and her half-truths are not enough. The chapter also reinforces the theme of hope as both a sustaining force and a source of pain, as Branwen's shock at failure reveals how much she had invested in this plan. It sets up the ongoing tension between her desire to save Gracie and the constraints of her reality.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Branwen decide not to tell Dr. Chiang the truth about her existence or accuse Arden of abuse?

Branwen fears that confessing the truth would make her seem mentally unstable, potentially leading to psychiatric hospitalization and losing her ability to consent to the bone marrow harvest. Accusing Arden would likely result in his temporary detention, but the tether would lead him back to her, making escape futile. She prioritizes Gracie's survival over her own freedom.

2. How does Dr. Chiang's refusal reflect her professional ethics?

Dr. Chiang recognizes that arranging an earlier harvest or pro bono surgery would validate Branwen's anxieties about dying in a freak incident, which she sees as counterproductive to Branwen's mental health. She maintains a boundary between therapy and medical intervention, even when Branwen's request is emotionally charged. Her refusal is not unkind but is rooted in a desire to avoid reinforcing irrational fears.

**3. What does the