Chapter 18 Summary: Day 9
⚠️ 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
At 3:19 p.m. on Day 9, Anna walks home alone after school, carrying a volume of Native American mythology she borrowed from Miss Shelby's trailer. She buries her head in the book, partly to avoid meeting Grace's eyes, and studies the handwritten notes Miss Shelby scrawled in the margins. The notes are cryptic—next to a Zuni proverb, Miss Shelby wrote “Alligators and anoles”—and Anna tries to piece together their meaning, but her mind keeps drifting back to a rumor she heard in the school bathroom about Grace. She recalls how persistent Grace has always been, especially in her childhood attempts to befriend a feral cat named Storm. Grace would leave food out for the cat, but Storm never let her get close enough to pet her, a pattern that mirrors how Grace often feels overlooked by their parents. Anna worries that Grace might have been coerced by boys at school and then stayed silent, and she hopes her sister's desire to separate from her hasn't made her vulnerable.
As Anna crosses from town onto the reservation, the smell of hot asphalt and the sounds of a road-paving crew overwhelm her. She pauses to watch the workers turning a dirt road into a shiny black street, and Principal Markham's question—What can you do to change?—echoes in her mind. She reflects on the casino, the resort, and the new roads, wondering if these changes are truly beneficial or just meant to impress outsiders. A sports car zooms by, as if answering her thought. She cuts through a field to avoid the crew, hoping to have time to prepare for work and maybe avoid Grace.
In the field near her house, she finds Robbie holding an unloaded rifle. He swings it around with boyish enthusiasm, and when Anna asks to try it, he refuses, pulling the gun away. Anna is stung by his rejection, which reminds her of being excluded from a stickball game as a child because she was a girl. Miss Shelby had told her then that people don't always see that we can be “both,” a phrase Anna still doesn't fully understand. Robbie then asks if their parents are breaking up, noting how distant they've become. Anna admits that people change, and promises they'll stick together. She sends him off with a playful distraction and heads home, a knot forming in her stomach.
When she arrives, Grace is sitting on the porch steps, chipping purple nail polish. Grace says their friends went to the arcade after school, and Anna wonders if Grace was excluded because of her. Grace doesn't seem to blame Anna, but Anna feels a pang of guilt and curiosity about whether Grace knows what their peers are saying. Anna walks up the steps, pauses to squeeze Grace's shoulder, and goes inside.
Key Events
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Anna walks home alone, reading Miss Shelby's annotated mythology book and reflecting on a rumor about Grace.
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She recalls Grace's childhood persistence with a feral cat named Storm, which never let Grace pet her.
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Anna crosses onto the reservation and observes a road-paving crew, prompting thoughts about modernization and its costs.
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She encounters Robbie in a field with an unloaded rifle; he refuses to let her handle it, echoing past gender exclusion.
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Robbie asks if their parents are breaking up; Anna reassures him they'll stick together.
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Anna returns home to find Grace on the porch, chipping nail polish; they exchange a few words, and Anna squeezes Grace's shoulder before going inside.
Character Development
Anna is caught between her protective instincts and her own insecurities. She avoids Grace's eyes, fearing what her sister might see, and she carries the mythology book as a shield. Her memory of Storm highlights her empathy for Grace's longing for affection, and she worries that Grace's stubbornness might have led her into a dangerous situation. Anna's interaction with Robbie reveals her sensitivity to exclusion—she understands why he doesn't want to be seen with her, but it still hurts. Her promise to Robbie that they'll stick together shows her commitment to family, even as she struggles with her own guilt and uncertainty.
Grace appears isolated and subdued. She sits alone on the porch, chipping her nail polish, and mentions that her friends went to the arcade without her. Her small voice and lack of blame toward Anna suggest she may be internalizing something, though the chapter leaves her thoughts ambiguous. The earlier rumor about her hangs over the scene, making her quietness feel ominous.
Robbie is on the cusp of adolescence, trying on a masculine identity through the rifle. His refusal to let Anna touch it stems from a desire to appear grown-up, but his pleading tone and his question about their parents reveal his vulnerability. He still looks to Anna for reassurance, even as he pushes her away.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Hidden knowledge and mythology: Miss Shelby's book represents a connection to Native traditions and a source of insight that Anna is trying to decode. The cryptic notes suggest that understanding one's heritage requires effort and interpretation.
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Modernization vs. tradition: The road paving, casino, and resort symbolize the tribe's shift toward outside attention and economic gain. Anna questions whether these changes are worth the cost, hinting at a loss of cultural identity.
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Gender exclusion: Robbie's refusal to let Anna handle the rifle, and her memory of being banned from stickball, highlight the persistent barriers Anna faces as a girl. Miss Shelby's comment about being “both” suggests a fluidity that others don't yet see.
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Unattainable affection: The feral cat Storm, which Grace could never tame, mirrors Grace's own struggles to feel loved and accepted. The cat's distance parallels the emotional distance between Grace and her family, and perhaps between Anna and Grace.
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Silence and secrecy: Anna's avoidance of Grace's eyes, Grace's quietness, and the unspoken rumor all point to a culture of silence around difficult truths. The chapter emphasizes what is left unsaid.
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Family strain: Robbie's question about their parents breaking up, and Anna's acknowledgment that people change, underscore the fragility of the Horn family. The casino's money may have opened new options, but it hasn't healed the rifts.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens Anna's internal conflict and sets up the central mystery of Grace's well-being. Anna's fear about the rumor, combined with her inability to confront Grace directly, creates tension that will likely drive the narrative forward. The chapter also expands the novel's commentary on the impact of modernization on the Takoda tribe, using the road paving as a literal and metaphorical transformation. Anna's memory of Miss Shelby's wisdom and her own feelings of exclusion reinforce her role as an observer who is both inside and outside her community. The quiet, unresolved moment on the porch—Anna squeezing Grace's shoulder—signals a fragile connection that may be tested in the chapters to come.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Anna avoid looking at Grace when she returns home?
Anna is worried that Grace might see the fear and suspicion in her eyes. She has heard a rumor about Grace at school and is afraid that her own anxiety will reveal her doubts or make Grace feel blamed. She also doesn't know how to address the situation, so she keeps her head down and avoids eye contact.
2. What does the feral cat Storm reveal about Grace's character?
Storm represents Grace's persistent but unfulfilled desire for affection. Grace tried to tame the cat by leaving food out, but Storm never let her get close enough to pet her. This mirrors Grace's relationship with her parents, who often overlook her, and it shows her stubbornness and her willingness to care for something that doesn't fully reciprocate. Anna uses this memory to hope that Grace wouldn't be easily coerced, but also to worry that her sister's longing for connection might make her vulnerable.
3. How does the road-paving scene reflect Anna's feelings about change?
The road paving is a concrete example of the modernization that Anna questions. She hears Principal Markham's question about change and wonders if the casino, resort, and new roads are truly beneficial or just meant to attract attention. The harsh smell and noise make her head ache, suggesting that these changes are disruptive. The sports car that zooms by reinforces the idea of progress, but Anna is left uncertain about its cost to the tribe and her family.