# Chapter 22 Summary and Analysis
⚠️ 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
The chapter opens on March 3, 1930, in Lanesborough, New Hampshire, with Ethel Monroe growing alarmed about her infant daughter, Margaret. The baby is lethargic, nurses poorly, and makes a wheezing sound when she cries. Ethel notices that Margaret seems smaller and paler, with blue veins visible through her skin. Will initially reassures her that weight loss is common, but Ethel senses something more serious.
Will takes them to Valley Hospital, where his colleague Dr. Hansen examines Margaret. After listening to her chest, Dr. Hansen speaks with Will in hushed tones. Will returns with a grave expression and tells Ethel that Margaret's heart is the problem. They rush to Boston Children's Hospital, where cardiac and pulmonary specialists examine the baby. The doctors confirm that because Margaret was born prematurely, her heart and lungs will not develop normally. There is no operation or medication that can save her, and they do not expect her to live to her first birthday. The doctors advise Ethel and Will to bring her home and treasure every moment.
Ethel refuses to accept this prognosis. She clings to Margaret, promising silently never to let her go. The narrative jumps to April 3, 1930. Will tells Ethel they must prepare for the inevitable loss, calling it God's will. Ethel rejects this, saying she does not wish to believe in such a God. Will sends Reverend Bickford to comfort her, but Ethel dismisses him. In private, she engages in self-harm, scratching her legs with a pin and carving her daughter's name into her skin, along with images of a sparrow's egg, a rose, and the Brandenburg Springs Hotel.
Myrtle, who has been helping the family, arrives with a jar of spring water from Brandenburg. She explains that she couldn't reach the springs themselves but bought the last jar from the general store. Myrtle dabs the water on Margaret's lips and tongue, and the baby responds positively. Ethel hides the jar and dropper in her nightstand and gives Margaret more doses throughout the day. By evening, Margaret's color improves, she nurses well, and she sleeps through the night for the first time. Will is astonished, and Ethel declares it a miracle.
Key Events
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Ethel notices Margaret's lethargy, poor nursing, and wheezing.
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Dr. Hansen at Valley Hospital identifies a heart problem.
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Specialists at Boston Children's Hospital confirm a fatal prognosis due to premature birth.
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Ethel and Will bring Margaret home with no medical hope.
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Will urges Ethel to prepare for loss; Ethel rejects God and begins self-harming.
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Myrtle brings spring water from Brandenburg and administers it to Margaret.
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Margaret's condition improves dramatically after receiving the water.
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Ethel hides the water and continues giving it secretly, believing in a miracle.
Character Development
Ethel Monroe transforms from a helpless, grieving mother into a determined, secretive figure. Her initial despair is palpable—she describes feeling as if she is drowning, sinking underwater with her baby. Her rejection of God and her self-harm reveal a desperate need for control and a willingness to sacrifice her own body for her child. The spring water gives her a new purpose and a secret ritual, shifting her from passive grief to active hope. By the end, she declares herself a believer in miracles, but this belief is rooted in a hidden, folk remedy rather than conventional faith.
Will Monroe is portrayed as a practical, grief-stricken father. He tries to prepare Ethel for the worst, but his words feel hollow and rehearsed. He becomes a “wooden man,” unable to offer genuine comfort. His reliance on religion and the reverend contrasts with Ethel's rejection of it. Will's skepticism about the spring water is evident, but he cannot explain Margaret's improvement, leaving him bewildered.
Myrtle emerges as a source of practical help and folk wisdom. Having lost her husband, she finds new purpose in caring for the Monroes. Her decision to bring the spring water, despite Will's potential disapproval, shows her belief in the water's power and her willingness to act outside medical orthodoxy.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Spring water as a cure is the central motif. The water from Brandenburg is presented as a folk remedy that defies medical explanation. Myrtle's line about the water bringing Margaret to Ethel suggests a mystical connection between the springs and the baby's existence.
Maternal desperation drives Ethel's actions. Her self-harm—scratching her daughter's name into her legs—is a physical manifestation of her devotion and her need to hold onto Margaret. It also echoes religious self-mortification, but here it is directed toward her child rather than a deity.
Faith vs. doubt is explored through Ethel's rejection of God and her subsequent embrace of the spring water as a miracle. Will's faith is conventional but ineffective, while Ethel's new belief is personal and secret.
The drowning metaphor recurs throughout. Ethel describes the diagnosis as water rushing in, filling her mouth and lungs. She imagines herself and Margaret sinking together. This imagery ties to the novel's title and the mysterious springs, suggesting that water is both a threat and a source of salvation.
Sparrow imagery appears when Ethel calls Margaret her “little sparrow” and later imagines feeling wings on her daughter's shoulder blades. Sparrows are small, fragile birds, symbolizing Margaret's vulnerability and the hope that she might somehow survive.
Secret ritual is evident in Ethel hiding the water and administering it without Will's knowledge. This secrecy creates a divide between her and Will and sets up a pattern of hidden actions that may have consequences later.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter establishes the origin of the spring water's power and Ethel's secret reliance on it. It introduces the central conflict between medical science and folk belief, and it shows how a desperate mother can turn to unconventional means. The chapter also deepens the novel's water symbolism, linking the springs to both death and life. Ethel's transformation from a grieving woman to a secret believer sets the stage for future events, as her hidden actions may have unforeseen repercussions. The chapter also highlights the theme of maternal sacrifice and the lengths a mother will go to save her child.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Ethel's reaction to the diagnosis reflect her character and set up her later actions?
Ethel's refusal to accept the doctors' prognosis shows her determination and her deep bond with Margaret. Her immediate rejection of God and her self-harm reveal a need for control and a willingness to suffer for her child. This desperation makes her receptive to Myrtle's spring water, and her secret administration of it demonstrates her shift from passive grief to active, albeit hidden, hope.
2. What role does the spring water play in this chapter, and how does it contrast with medical treatment?
The spring water is presented as a folk remedy that produces immediate, visible improvement in Margaret's condition, while the doctors offer no hope. It represents a belief in the supernatural or the power of nature over science. The water's secretive use also creates a moral ambiguity—Ethel hides it from Will, suggesting that its power may come with a cost.
3. How does the chapter use water imagery to convey Ethel's emotional state?
Water imagery is used to describe Ethel's feelings of being overwhelmed and drowning. When she hears the diagnosis, she feels water rushing in and imagines sinking with Margaret. This imagery connects to the novel's title and the mysterious springs, suggesting that water is both a source of danger and a potential source of salvation. By the end, the water from the springs becomes a lifeline, but the drowning metaphor lingers, hinting at unresolved dangers.
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