53 pages • 1 hour read
Kent HarufA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Louis drives Addie, Jamie, and Bonny to a national forest in the mountains where they camp for a couple of nights. They sleep in a tent together and cook meals over the fire. Louis and Jamie cut switches to use for roasting marshmallows. During the day, they go hiking and visit the Continental Divide. Louis instructs Jamie on how to follow the river to go exploring and be able to find his way back. Jamie takes Bonny along the river and reports that they didn’t see any bears. He says he would like to see a bear, ideally from the safety of the truck. The second night, Louis takes Jamie into the woods to pee, explaining that they don’t have to go all the way to the toilets. When they drive home the next day, they retire in two separate bedrooms.
Gene comes to visit his mother and son. He notes that Jamie calls Louis by his first name and that the dog is staying with him. Louis brings the dog over later and meets Gene, who questions him about spending the nights with Addie when Jamie is in the house. Gene thinks the situation could be harmful to Jamie, and he is suspicious of Louis’s caring for the boy.
By Kent Haruf