Summary

Audrey asked Tara to stay on Buck’s Peak after Christmas at the start of Chapter 33, “Sorcery of Physics.” She claimed she was not emotionally strong enough to face Shawn alone, and that their parents did not believe her. Tara went back to Cambridge anyway, where she began “a piece of original academic research” to qualify for a PhD (280). She chose to reread Mormon literature she studied as a child. Tara’s chosen relationships were healthier than those with her family, and this made her feel guilty. She went home for Christmas and found Luke unrecognizable with children of his own. Tara encountered Shawn who exhibited a peaceful demeanor, and she agreed to take a drive with him. He took her to the church’s unlit, isolated parking lot, where he threatened to kill Audrey for having spoken against him. Eventually, he pulled out...