Summary

The final chapter of the novel, "Gift" focuses on Abel Blaine, the brother of Dottie in "Dottie's Bed and Breakfast" and the second cousin of Lucy Barton. The chapter is set at Christmastime, in an upscale Chicago suburb, where Abel now lives with his rich wife. He has a daughter, Zoe, whom he adores, and a granddaughter named Sophia.

The chapter opens with Abel late because of a meeting that had gone over time because he had not quite known how to stop a younger woman's presentation. In this opening, then, the reader immediately sees Abel's own self-doubt despite his success. His wife Elaine was angry that he was late and had missed dinner, but they all made their way to the Littleton Theater to see a production of A Christmas Carol. The production is mentioned in the chapter "Dottie's Bed and Breakfast" as...