Chapter 17 Summary: The Princess Lets Down Her Hair

⚠️ 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 {#summary}

Six years before the novel's present timeline, Devon is pregnant with her second child at Easterbrook Manor. Unlike her first pregnancy at Winterfield, which she spent wandering the grounds, this one is strangely restful because she has given up hope. She finds that despair is easier than the exhausting effort of imagining a better life. The Easterbrook lands are full of human labor and farms, which distress her, so she stays indoors.

After a week of miserable solitude, Devon ventures down to the games room and asks to join Jarrow, who is playing Final Fantasy. They strike up an unlikely friendship, and Devon spends the happiest six months of her life in that room, playing video games, drinking inktea, and being largely ignored by the rest of the household. She tells Jarrow that he is the only person who actually listens to her, and she admits she wishes he had been her husband instead of Matley.

Jarrow reveals that he is asexual, explaining that he has never felt sexual attraction to anyone. Devon, surprised, admits that she likes girls, a truth she has never spoken aloud. Their conversation turns to the subject of marriage and children. Jarrow asks Devon if she minds giving up her children, and she becomes upset, confessing that she misses her daughter Salem terribly and hates that she has no choices.

Jarrow offers to help her escape. He shows her maps of the United Kingdom and the world, explaining that the Families control book eaters by keeping them undocumented on the island. He reveals a route: take a ferry to Northern Ireland (no passport needed) and then cross the unguarded border into the Republic of Ireland, which is free of book eaters. He also explains the territories of the various Families, including the Winterfields in Birmingham, where Salem is being raised.

Devon refuses. She believes that if she behaves and does as she is told, she will be allowed to see Salem on her tenth birthday. Jarrow argues that this promise is bait, a con to keep her compliant until she is too old and tired to fight. Devon accuses him of wanting to rescue someone to satisfy his own needs, then apologizes. She says she will think about his offer, but she is lying. She turns away from the maps and back toward the games room, choosing the safe prison of digital escape over the terrifying possibility of real freedom.

Key Events {#key-events}

• Devon's second pregnancy at Easterbrook is marked by resignation and despair, a contrast to her first pregnancy.

• Devon and Jarrow form a deep friendship in the games room, bonding over video games and honest conversation.

• Jarrow reveals he is asexual, and Devon admits she is attracted to women.

• Jarrow asks Devon if she minds giving up her children, prompting an emotional confession about missing Salem.

• Jarrow shows Devon maps of the world and the Families' territories, teaching her about geography and the structure of book eater society.

• Jarrow proposes an escape route through Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland, which is free of book eaters.

• Devon refuses the plan, clinging to the promise of seeing Salem on her tenth birthday.

• Jarrow argues the promise is a con, but Devon accuses him of wanting to rescue someone and then lies about considering his offer.

Character Development {#character-development}

Devon

This chapter reveals a Devon who has been broken by the system. Her resignation is not passive but a deliberate choice born of exhaustion. She has stopped hoping because hope is too painful. Her friendship with Jarrow is the first genuine connection she has had in years, and it allows her to voice truths she has never spoken, including her attraction to women and her grief over Salem. However, her refusal to escape shows that she is still trapped by the Families' psychological control. She cannot see the promise of Salem's tenth birthday as the lie it likely is.

Jarrow

Jarrow emerges as a complex figure. He is kind, thoughtful, and genuinely cares for Devon, but he is also isolated within his own family. His asexuality marks him as a deviant in a society that values procreation above all. His offer to help Devon escape is partly altruistic, but Devon's accusation that he wants to rescue someone suggests he may have his own motivations. He is a man who has knowledge and resources but lacks the power to use them for himself.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs {#themes-symbols-or-motifs}

Resignation and Despair

Devon's pregnancy is restful because she has given up. The chapter explicitly frames hope as a burden and despair as a kind of peace. This is a powerful commentary on how oppressive systems break people down until they stop fighting.

Escape and Freedom

The maps and the escape route to Ireland symbolize the possibility of freedom. Jarrow's plan is concrete and practical, but Devon cannot take it because she is anchored by her love for Salem. The chapter suggests that freedom is not just about physical escape but about the ability to imagine a different life.

Asexuality and Identity

Jarrow's revelation that he is asexual and Devon's admission that she likes girls are moments of vulnerability and self-discovery. In a society that defines people by their reproductive roles, these identities are deviant. The chapter suggests that the Families' control extends even to the most intimate aspects of identity.

False Hope and the Con of the Fairy Tale

Jarrow argues that the promise of seeing Salem is bait, a fairy tale designed to keep Devon compliant. The chapter title, referencing Rapunzel, reinforces this theme: Devon is a princess in a tower, but there is no prince coming to save her. The only escape is one she must take herself.

Maps as Knowledge and Power

Devon has never seen a map before. The Families deliberately keep women ignorant, denying them knowledge that could lead to escape. Jarrow's maps are not just tools for navigation; they are symbols of the world beyond the Families' control.

Why This Chapter Matters {#why-this-chapter-matters}

This chapter is a turning point in Devon's backstory. It explains how she ended up in her current situation and why she stayed. The friendship with Jarrow is one of the few genuine relationships in her life, and it provides a counterpoint to the cruelty of Matley and the Families. The escape route through Northern Ireland is a crucial piece of information that may become relevant later in the novel. Most importantly, the chapter reveals the depth of Devon's love for Salem and the psychological hold the Families have over her. Her decision to stay, despite knowing the promise is likely a lie, is both heartbreaking and a testament to her maternal devotion.

Study Questions and Answers {#study-questions-and-answers}

1. Why does Devon find her second pregnancy restful, and what does this reveal about her psychological state?

Devon finds the pregnancy restful because she has given up hope. The chapter explains that hope is exhausting, overwhelming, and depressing, so she chooses despair out of sheer weariness. This reveals that she has been psychologically broken by the Families. She is no longer fighting her situation because fighting is too painful. This resignation is a survival mechanism, but it also keeps her trapped.

2. What is Jarrow's escape plan, and why does Devon refuse it?

Jarrow's plan is to take a ferry to Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom and does not require a passport, and then cross the unguarded border into the Republic of Ireland, which is free of book eaters. Devon refuses because she believes that if she behaves, she will be allowed to see Salem on her tenth birthday. She cannot accept that this promise is likely a lie, because the alternative, never seeing her daughter again, is too painful to contemplate.

**3. How does the chapter title,