Summary

Part II begins with Chapter 9, “Clairvoyance” (119). Trethewey explains that her mother visited a psychic shortly before her death, and she recently decided to visit one as well, “in [an] attempt to reconstruct the events of May 1985” (119). Trethewey gave the psychic a fake name, Cassandra, and during the visit she was careful not to reveal any personal information he might use to make assumptions about her. She did not believe in psychic abilities and knew that people often unconsciously give hints during a reading that allow a psychic to pretend to be making contact with a deceased loved one. The psychic told her he had made contact with her father, who had recently died. Even though she did not believe in psychics, Trethewey found herself disappointed that nothing was said about her mother during the reading. She later realized that a pattern of numbers...