Chapters 18 - 49 Summary

The Fireflies Summary

In the first week of June, after the long rains are over, there are fireflies in the woods. Karen marvels at the beauty of nature and of life and imagines children chasing them happily, frolicking in the woods.

The Roads of Life Summary

As a child, Karen remembers, she had been told the story of a man who had woken up one night at the sound of a terrible noise. Setting out to find the source of the noise, he followed the road to the pond not far from his house. Despite the obstacles he must overcome to get there and the meandering route he takes, he arrives and fixes the leak in the dam, the source of the noise. The next morning he sees a stork out in the pond and is glad. The tale is an...