Chapter Seventeen Summary: We Were Twenty-Seven

⚠️ 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 the spring and summer of 2023, unprecedented wildfires burn across Canada, from Alberta to Nova Scotia and into Ontario and Québec. The narrator, living in Toronto, watches the smoke turn the sun red. Her childhood friend George is in the thick of it, reporting for the CBC. They text daily; she keeps her phone on her pillow, worried for his safety. He describes towering flames and exhausted firefighters. She shares updates about their shared acquaintances—Darwin’s pregnant wife, Moby’s new house, Aurora and Betty moving in together, friend Brie’s development deal. The narrator herself has been working in kitchens for seven years and feels drained, reluctant to join Brie because that would feel like admitting her mother was right.

George appears on The National, calm and authoritative despite the danger behind him. Watching him, the narrator is struck by how much he has changed from the boy she grew up with. She texts him afterward, proud of his debut. He reveals the network wants him to cover the fires regularly and may send him to Yellowknife. She asks if he’ll be safe; he assures her she has “nothing to worry about.” The chapter ends ominously: he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Key Events

Wildfires ravage Canada in 2023, with George reporting for CBC from the front lines.
The narrator texts George at odd hours to check if he is safe; they speak almost daily.
She updates him on friends’ lives: Darwin’s wife is in her third trimester, Moby bought a house, Aurora and Betty are moving in together, and Brie got a streaming deal.
The narrator confesses she is tired of restaurant work and feels trapped.
George appears on The National for the first time; his composed manner surprises the narrator.
She texts him congratulations; he says a producer wants to make it regular and may send him to Yellowknife.
He reassures her he’ll be safe, but the narrative hints that danger lies ahead.

Character Development

Narrator (protagonist): Her worry for George reveals deep, lasting attachment. Her admission of exhaustion and fear of change shows professional stagnation and a complicated relationship with her mother’s expectations. She rediscovers intimacy through daily check-ins.
George: Once the boy the narrator knew, he now exudes calm authority on national television. His willingness to face extreme danger and his emerging media career mark a significant shift from their shared past.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Wildfires as a symbol of upheaval: The fires mirror the emotional turmoil and forced change in the narrator’s life. They also represent George’s dangerous career and the fragility of safety.
Distance and connection: Despite physical separation and the chaos of fires, the narrator and George grow closer through texts and calls, echoing their childhood bond.
Growth and transformation: George’s on‑air poise and his new career path underscore how seven years have changed him. The narrator’s stagnation contrasts with his forward motion.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the emotional stakes of the narrator and George’s relationship by placing it against a real‑world crisis. It moves George from a remembered figure to a present, changed man, and foreshadows future danger (the closing line). The narrator’s dissatisfaction with her own life sets up a turning point, as Brie’s offer represents an alternate path. The chapter also grounds the story in a specific, factual catastrophe, adding urgency and gravity.

Study Questions and Answers

Question: How does the narrator’s daily communication with George during the wildfires differ from their earlier relationship?
Answer: Earlier, their contact was sporadic and fraught with unresolved tension. Now, the narrator initiates every conversation out of fear for his safety, and they speak almost daily. This routine re‑establishes a closeness that mimics their childhood, but it is motivated by crisis rather than easy friendship.
Question: What does the narrator’s reluctance to join Brie reveal about her character?
Answer: She sees Brie’s offer as a sign of giving up and admitting her mother was right—meaning her mother likely disapproved of her restaurant career. The narrator is stuck between pride and fear of failure, unwilling to make a big change even though she is miserable.
Question: Why does the chapter end with the line “He couldn’t have been more wrong”?
Answer: George’s assurance that the narrator has nothing to worry about contradicts the reader’s knowledge of the fire’s scale and the danger he will face in Yellowknife. It foreshadows that something bad will happen to George, raising tension for the following chapters.