Summary

In "If It Isn't Grown It Has to Be Mined," shortly before arriving in Reno for a reading, Claire receives a message about the Tecopa house. Martha had been renting it to "an elderly Timbisha woman named Nadine" (65). Nadine is now gone, and the house is "empty and awaiting demolition" (67). Claire decided not to tell Lise because "she would want to do something about it" (67).

Arriving in Reno feels like "reentering the past" (68). Ty, Claire's oldest friend, picks her up from the airport. They drive to their friends Rust and Ivy's home. They have all been close for years. In the car, Ty notices that Claire has been crying. She tries to hide why. She cried because she was depressed and considering "abandoning [her] family" (71).

Claire finds it difficult to see Rust and Ivy's children. She observes their home and family life. Rust...