Chapter 7 Summary: Abby's Mother Arrives and Old Wounds Resurface

⚠️ 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

Abby leads her group of cyclists, including Sebastian and the other “Bros,” when her mother Eileen appears on a new bike, claiming she wants to spend time with her daughter. The present-day tension triggers an extended flashback to Abby’s twelfth summer, when Eileen sent her to Camp Golden Hills—a weight-loss camp—against her wishes. Abby recalls the humiliating weigh-ins, the “before” Polaroids, and the camp’s coded obsession with thinness. She remembers making friends, including Kara and Marissa, and witnessing how parents praised only the thinnest daughters. When Eileen arrives home after camp, she is thrilled only because Abby has lost weight, a pattern Abby now recognizes as toxic. Back in the present, Abby confronts her mother but finds Eileen evasive, deflecting with talk of children and IUDs. The chapter ends with Abby cycling away, furious at her mother’s presence and unsure why she is really there.

Key Events

Abby completes introductions with the Landons and the Spoke’n Four while avoiding eye contact with Sebastian.
She checks that every rider has a spare tube and tire irons; the Bros are short one tube, and Abby cannot resist engaging with Sebastian.
Eileen arrives on a brand‑new bike, wearing proper cycling gear, and Abby realizes Lizzie helped her mother prepare the surprise.
Abby recalls her first summer at Camp Golden Hills: the weigh‑in, the Polaroid photos, the 1,200‑calorie meal plan, and her father’s reluctant complicity.
At camp Abby makes friends with Marissa and Leah, learns the “Hourglass, Apple, Pyramid” body‑type categories, and shares contraband candy.
The night before pickup, Kara cries about her mother’s shame; Abby sees parents praise thin daughters and ignore others.
Eileen reacts to Abby’s weight loss with joy, buying her a party dress; Abby later realizes Eileen only loved her when she was smaller.
In the present, Abby confronts Eileen about the damage of fat camp; Eileen insists she only wanted the best, but Abby rejects the apology.
Eileen pressures Abby about having children; Abby declares she has an IUD and does not want kids, ending the conversation.

Character Development

Abby is revealed as someone still deeply wounded by her mother’s fixation on weight. Her memories show a resilient girl who found joy and friendship despite humiliation, but the adult Abby battles anger and a sense of betrayal. She is confident in her biking identity but vulnerable around her mother.
Eileen appears both controlling and oblivious. She insists her motives were loving, yet she cannot stop steering every conversation toward Abby’s body and future fertility. Her “apology” is vague and self‑justifying, suggesting little real growth.
Sebastian remains a magnetic figure; Abby’s attempts to ignore him fail, and his easy recall of her name unsettles her. He serves as a complicating romantic possibility that collides with Abby’s family drama.
Lizzie is mentioned as an accomplice, having helped Eileen prepare for the ride, which strains Abby’s trust in her best friend.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Mother‑daughter conflict and body image: The Camp Golden Hills flashback lays bare the harm done when a parent equates thinness with worth. Abby’s anger at Eileen’s “good intentions” mirrors a broader critique of diet culture.
Control and autonomy: Eileen’s surprise attendance overrides Abby’s independence. The ride—Abby’s domain—is invaded by the very person who once tried to shrink her.
The bike as self‑symbol: Abby’s Trek 520 touring bike is described as sturdy, practical, and lovable—a contrast to the fragile, appearance‑focused world Eileen represents. Riding is freedom; the bike carries Abby through past trauma and present anger.
Memory and the persistence of shame: The Polaroid “before” photos and the weigh‑in ritual remain vivid for Abby, showing how institutional weight‑stigma leaves lasting scars.
Partial apologies: Eileen’s admission that she “didn’t always make the right choices” stops short of a real apology, highlighting the difficulty of healing old wounds without full accountability.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter provides the emotional core of Abby’s story, explaining her strained relationship with food, her body, and her mother. It deepens the reader’s understanding of why Abby is drawn to cycling and independence. Eileen’s arrival complicates the trip’s romantic and professional tensions, setting up a collision between Abby’s past, her present with Sebastian, and her future with Mark. The chapter also critiques the weight‑loss industry by exposing the psychological damage camps like Golden Hills inflicted, making it a crucial turning point for Abby’s character arc.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Abby react so strongly to her mother’s appearance on the ride?
Answer: Eileen’s arrival forces Abby to relive the painful summer she was sent to a weight‑loss camp. Abby interprets her mother’s presence as an invasion of the one activity that makes her feel confident and free, reopening old wounds about being loved only when she is thinner.
What does the flashback to Camp Golden Hills reveal about family dynamics and diet culture?
Answer: The flashback shows how parents—especially mothers—project their own anxieties about weight onto their children. Kara’s mother scolds her for insufficient weight loss, while Marissa’s mother celebrates her “supermodel” look. Abby’s own father enables Eileen’s plan for “peace in the house,” revealing that family loyalty often sides with the thinner ideal.
How does Abby’s description of her bike parallel her own identity?
Answer: Abby loves her Trek 520 because it is sturdy, practical, and built for endurance—the opposite of the fragile, ornamental ideal her mother promoted. The bike “get[s] the job done” without being flashy, mirroring Abby’s own pride in competence over appearance. It represents a self‑definition that Eileen cannot control.