Chapter 6: Errands - 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

On Thursday morning, Tatum McKenzie deliberately avoids her childhood friend Hollis Shaw at the Stop & Shop, even hiding Hollis’s car keys as a playful act of avoidance. Later, they meet at the dry cleaner’s, where Tatum awkwardly apologizes for missing Matthew Shaw’s funeral. Hollis reveals the guest list for the Five-Star Weekend: Brooke, Dru-Ann, and Gigi, a stranger from Hollis’s website. Tatum’s attention snags on Dru-Ann, whom she has disliked since Hollis’s wedding. Driving away, Tatum ignores a call from Nantucket Cottage Hospital regarding her breast biopsy results. She fears she has cancer, haunted by her mother Laura Leigh’s rapid death from breast cancer nine weeks after diagnosis. Tatum works for Irina Services, cleaning and running errands; her job and grandson Orion keep her busy. She decides attending the weekend will distract her and gives herself permission to plan a little revenge on Dru-Ann.

Key Events

• Tatum spots Hollis at the Stop & Shop and flees to another checkout line.
• She hides Hollis’s keys under the driver’s seat of the Bronco.
• At Holdgate’s dry cleaner, Tatum and Hollis reunite; Tatum apologizes for not reaching out after Matthew’s death.
• Hollis explains the Five-Star Weekend concept and names the four guests, including Dru-Ann.
• Tatum receives a call from the hospital but declines it, terrified of the results.
• She reflects on her mother’s swift death from breast cancer and the parallel fears for her own health.
• Tatum drives to the Albrights’ house, arriving two minutes late to face her boss Irina.

Character Development

Tatum McKenzie is revealed as deeply vulnerable beneath her prickly exterior. Her fear of breast cancer, fueled by her mother’s death, makes her short-tempered and prone to escape through smoking and pranks. Her avoidance of Hollis stems from old hurt, but she also shows genuine remorse for not offering sympathy after Matthew’s death. The chapter establishes her as a hardworking local who feels like an outsider among the summer crowd.

Hollis Shaw appears briefly, still grieving her husband but putting on a brave face. She reaches out warmly to Tatum with the nickname “sis,” showing she values their history.

Dru-Ann Jones is mentioned only by name, yet Tatum’s strong reaction establishes her as a source of past conflict.

Kyle McKenzie is portrayed as a loving, supportive husband who reassures Tatum about her health and teases her affectionately.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Mortality and Fear. The chapter is shadowed by Tatum’s biopsy results. Her mother’s rapid death creates a sense of fatalism; Tatum imagines worst-case scenarios involving chemo, surgery, and financial ruin.

Class and Belonging. Tatum cleans houses for wealthy clients while longing to experience the sparkling life of summer people. Her job for Irina Services highlights the economic divide between locals and seasonal residents.

Friendship and Estrangement. Tatum and Hollis were once inseparable, but now Tatum avoids her. The hidden keys symbolize Tatum’s desire to control their distance. Hollis’s decision to invite a stranger (Gigi) and a friend Tatum dislikes (Dru-Ann) further complicates their reunion.

Coping Mechanisms. Tatum smokes twice as many cigarettes under stress, relies on her husband for sex and reassurance, and channels her anger into fantasies of revenge.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens Tatum from a supporting character into a central figure with her own high-stakes arc. Her health crisis raises the emotional stakes for the entire weekend, while her fractured history with Hollis and her resentment of Dru-Ann set the stage for interpersonal conflict. The chapter also grounds the story in Nantucket’s class dynamics, showing the hidden labor behind the island’s glamour.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Tatum hide Hollis’s car keys?
   Tatum hides the keys as a spontaneous prank, a way to assert control in an awkward encounter. It also reflects her long-standing habit of avoiding a genuine reunion with Hollis, whose summer‑person status makes Tatum feel inadequate.

2. What does Tatum’s decision to ignore the hospital call reveal about her emotional state?
   She is terrified of receiving bad news. The call comes sooner than expected, and she feels unprepared to hear a cancer diagnosis. Ignoring it allows her to postpone confronting a potentially life‑altering result, keeping the weekend as a temporary escape.

3. How does Tatum’s memory of her mother’s death influence her current behavior?
   Her mother died of breast cancer in just nine weeks, leaving Tatum with a deep‑seated fear that she will face the same fate. She imagines gruesome treatment details and worries about leaving her family, which fuels her smoking, her avoidance of the hospital, and her need for distraction.

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