Chapter 16 (Chapter III): Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes
⚠️ 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
Antonia wakes up in her own bed beside Ariel Hardy, surprised that she dreamed at all—she had always believed dreams required solitary space, but the night before had been anything but solitary. The sheets smell of jasmine oil, and Ariel’s clothes are scattered on the floor. Antonia immediately thinks that leading someone on is a mistake, especially when she isn’t emotionally available. She recalls a recent lunch with Scott Morrison, her oldest friend and the father of her child. Scott tells her she used to be less shut down, and that she is hiding her vulnerability. He urges her to let herself love someone, insisting she is beautiful inside. Antonia deflects, but his faith in her stays with her.
The memory shifts to the day that led her to call Ariel. She had visited Gideon, then attended a neurology class where she observed a young girl who had been struck by a car while riding a bicycle. The sight of the girl on a ventilator nearly brought Antonia to tears—something completely out of character for her. Overwhelmed by an intense desire to be alive, she phoned Ariel without thinking. When she arrived home, Ariel was sitting on the floor outside her door, reading The Borrowers. Ariel calls her beautiful despite her pregnancy, and they end up together.
In her dream, Antonia walks through tall grass with a young Aunt Jet, who tells her that people regret what they don’t do, not what they do. Jet also says that Kylie will be found the same way she was lost—with the book. Antonia wakes with a start, and Ariel teases her about dreaming of a wedding dress. They talk about the curse. Ariel insists it’s “shouldn’t, not can’t,” and jokes that the curse probably didn’t include lesbians. Antonia is wary, but Ariel kisses her and says she’ll wait until tonight to say the word “love.”
Later that afternoon, guilt or a need to talk drives Antonia to visit Reverend Willard at the retirement home. He is in his wheelchair on the patio, frail and dreamy. When she mentions that Kylie is missing, the Reverend suggests she bake an apple pie, explaining that Jet once told him that was how a lost daughter was found. Antonia walks to the Owens house on Magnolia Street, collects the mail and Post-it notes from neighbors, and lets two baby mice free in the garden. In the kitchen, she finds Maria Owens’ handwritten journal, which contains a recipe for “Lost Daughter’s Pie.” The instructions call for a crust of butter, water, and fine flour, with a filling of apples, cinnamon, lemon, and pats of butter. Bake it and place it on a windowsill, and the lost daughter will return.
Antonia doesn’t have time to make a proper crust, so she uses saltine crackers to line the pie plate. She bakes the pie, sets it on the windowsill as instructed, and even shoos away a wasp. She takes the pie to the Reverend, who tells her that the pie was made with love and that Kylie will know it and find her. The Reverend also mentions that Jet said love was the most important ingredient. Antonia sits with him as he falls asleep, humming the old folk song “The Water is Wide,” which Jet used to sing. On the drive home, with the pie on the passenger seat, Antonia thinks about how much she misses Kylie and how they used to watch movies and laugh together. Just then, her phone rings.
Key Events
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Antonia wakes after spending the night with Ariel, and dreams of Aunt Jet, who tells her that people regret what they don’t do.
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Antonia recalls Scott’s advice to let herself love someone, and the difficult day—visiting Gideon and observing a car accident victim—that led her to call Ariel.
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Ariel and Antonia discuss the Owens curse; Ariel reframes it as “shouldn’t” rather than “can’t,” and they share an intimate moment.
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Antonia visits Reverend Willard, who suggests she bake an apple pie to find Kylie, based on something Jet once told him.
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Antonia goes to the Owens house, finds Maria Owens’ handwritten journal, and bakes a “Lost Daughter’s Pie” using saltine crackers for the crust.
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She brings the pie to the Reverend, who tells her it was made with love and that Kylie will find her.
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Antonia sings “The Water is Wide” as the Reverend falls asleep, then drives home, where her phone rings.
Character Development
Antonia undergoes a significant emotional shift in this chapter. She has always prided herself on being logical and stoic, but her reaction to the accident victim—nearly crying in front of her class—reveals a crack in that armor. Her night with Ariel and her dream of Jet push her toward acknowledging her vulnerability. She still resists the idea of love, calling it a “bad idea” and a “mistake,” but her actions—baking the pie, singing the lullaby, and letting the Reverend call her “Annie”—show a softening. Her decision to bake the pie, despite her terrible cooking skills, demonstrates her willingness to embrace the irrational and the magical for the sake of her sister.
Ariel is patient and reassuring. She doesn’t push Antonia, but she gently challenges her fear of the curse. Her line “shouldn’t, not can’t” reframes the family’s belief, and her teasing about lesbians not existing in the curse’s original context shows her practical, grounded nature. She also reveals her own history—her grandfather called her a terrier, meaning she doesn’t let go—which hints at her determination in love.
Reverend Willard is shown as a changed man. Once a grouch who rejected Jet Owens, he is now open to love and magic. He remembers Jet’s stories about butter melting when someone is in love, and he speaks of love as the most important ingredient. His kindness toward Antonia, despite his own grief over his son, highlights his growth and his role as a mentor figure.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Apples and Pie: Apples are described as the food of love and the food of the dead, capable of calling to those who can’t hear any other sound. The pie becomes a tangible act of love and hope, a way to bridge the distance between Antonia and Kylie.
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Regret: Jet’s dream message—that people regret what they don’t do—echoes throughout the chapter. Antonia’s decision to call Ariel and to bake the pie are both acts that defy her usual caution, suggesting she is learning to act rather than hold back.
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The Curse: The Owens curse is central to Antonia’s fear. Ariel’s reinterpretation (“shouldn’t, not can’t”) shifts the focus from fate to choice, suggesting that love is possible if they are willing to risk it.
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Butter Melting: The melted butter running over the pie plate is a sign of love, as Jet once told the Reverend. It reinforces the idea that love is present even when unspoken.
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The Water is Wide: This folk song, passed down through generations, serves as both a love song and a lullaby. It connects the characters to their ancestors and to the idea of longing and separation.
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Dreams: Antonia’s dream of Jet is prophetic, delivering a message that guides her actions. It suggests that the supernatural is woven into the family’s reality.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is pivotal for Antonia’s character arc. It marks the beginning of her emotional awakening, as she moves from a purely rational worldview to one that embraces love, intuition, and even magic. The baking of the pie is a concrete act of faith—she does something illogical because she loves her sister. The chapter also deepens the theme of the curse, offering a counterargument through Ariel’s perspective. Reverend Willard’s role as a keeper of Jet’s wisdom ties the past to the present, and the song “The Water is Wide” reinforces the novel’s emphasis on family bonds and the power of love to transcend distance. The final phone call creates a cliffhanger, propelling the narrative forward.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Antonia’s dream of Jet influence her actions in this chapter?
Jet tells Antonia that people regret what they don’t do, not what they do. This message pushes Antonia to act on her feelings for Ariel and to bake the pie for Kylie, even though both actions are outside her comfort zone. The dream also reveals that Kylie will be found “with the book,” hinting at the importance of Maria Owens’ journal.
2. What does Ariel mean when she says “shouldn’t, not can’t” regarding the curse?
Ariel is challenging the idea that the curse makes love impossible. She suggests that the Owens women have a choice—they shouldn’t fall in love because of the danger, but they are not physically unable to. This reframing gives Antonia agency and opens the door for their relationship.
3. Why does Antonia use saltine crackers for the pie crust, and what does this reveal about her?
Antonia doesn’t have time to make a proper crust, so she improvises with saltine crackers. This shows her practicality and resourcefulness, but also her willingness to follow the recipe’s spirit rather than its letter. It reveals that she is trying to do something meaningful for her sister, even if she doesn’t do it perfectly.
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