Chapter 7 Summary: Grace, Mother of Merry

⚠️ 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

After talking with Elin, Grace takes a shower, changes, and spends fifteen minutes reading Brat Farrar, a crime novel that helps her regain equilibrium. She leaves her bedroom to find Mariella and Lucia bustling in the kitchen, speaking a mix of English and Italian while preparing snacks. The lively noise contrasts sharply with Grace’s silent home life: her children Merry and Luke are grown, and she sometimes goes weeks without hearing another voice.

Grace admits to having long conversations with her plants, confiding in them because she has felt things she cannot share with friends. She describes her life as drained of color; gardening, baking, and walks no longer bring pleasure. She feels hollowed out and numb. At night she lies awake and thinks about how maybe everything would be easier if she did not wake up.

Mariella and Lucia argue about olive oil. Elin nudges Grace and suggests they go outside. On the stone terrace overlooking the lake, a bottle of prosecco and snacks await. Grace notices duplicate sunburst chairs from UW-Madison but in different colors. Elin looks wistful and mentions her mother. Grace pours prosecco and toasts: “To heaven in the sky—and to heaven on earth, which is here and now.”

Grace thinks of her congregation and how she is a comfort to others. Elin says the group has come a long way from Madison. Meg appears briefly, barefoot, but frowns and leaves when she sees Grace and Elin. Grace wonders what is wrong with Meg. She asks Elin when Jamie is arriving. Elin says Jamie changed her ticket and may not come, but Mariella bought it. Grace notes that Jamie became hard to reach after the accident at Lake Geneva. Elin blurts, “I just want Lake Geneva to have never happened!” Grace touches her hand and says she knows.

Grace reflects on how parishioners often wish they could go back in time. She thinks about how Jamie would have stopped the twins from going out for ice cream if she could. The chapter ends with Grace acknowledging that what happened is not Jamie’s fault, but Jamie must lie awake thinking about how she could have prevented it.

Key Events

Grace reads Brat Farrar to calm herself.
Mariella and Lucia argue over olive oil in the kitchen.
Grace and Elin retreat to the terrace for prosecco and conversation.
Meg appears briefly but leaves without engaging.
Grace and Elin discuss Jamie’s difficulty and the Lake Geneva accident.
Grace reflects on her own depression and dark thoughts.
Grace thinks about how Jamie would have tried to prevent the accident.

Character Development

Grace: Reveals her deep depression and loneliness. She confides in plants because she cannot burden friends. Her role as a minister and comforter contrasts with her own inner pain. She feels numb and hopeless at night.
Elin: Shows ongoing grief for her mother and deep concern for Jamie. She is visibly sad but tries to put on a brave face with sunglasses.
Meg: Appears briefly and acts antisocially, frowning and leaving quickly. This hints at hidden turmoil.
Jamie (off-screen): Remains a figure of sympathy; her inability to move past the accident is clear through others’ comments.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Depression and Loneliness: Grace’s admission of numbness and dark thoughts is the chapter’s core. Her solitary life and conversations with plants symbolize profound isolation.
The Past and Regret: The Lake Geneva accident haunts all the characters. Elin and Grace wish it had never happened. Grace imagines Jamie replaying “what if” scenarios.
Friendship as Comfort: Despite her pain, Grace finds solace in the company of Elin and the group. The toast and shared prosecco represent a fleeting moment of peace.
Change and Aging: Grace and Elin remark on how far they have come from their youth. The sunburst chairs from UW-Madison evoke nostalgia for past lives.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter provides the first deep look into Grace’s interior life. It establishes her as a character grappling with clinical depression while serving as a spiritual pillar for others. It also advances the central grief of the novel: the Lake Geneva accident and its long shadow over Jamie and the friend group. Grace’s perspective links personal pain to communal loss, setting up themes that will resonate in later chapters.

Study Questions and Answers

What internal struggles does Grace reveal, and how does she try to manage them?
Grace reveals feelings of numbness, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts. She manages by reading, confiding in her plants, and focusing on small rituals like reading. She also finds temporary relief in the company of her friends.
How does Grace’s conversation with Elin illuminate the aftermath of the Lake Geneva accident?
Elin expresses her wish that Lake Geneva never happened, and Grace agrees. Grace imagines how Jamie would have tried to prevent the accident if she could. The chapter shows that all the friends are still affected and that Jamie is particularly withdrawn and unreachable.
What does Grace’s reflection on her congregation and her role as a comforter suggest about her character?
Grace is a source of comfort to others, yet she privately struggles with depression. This contrast highlights the weight of her job and the isolation she feels. It suggests that she may not be able to take her own advice, and that appearance can mask deep pain.