Chapter 4 Summary

The scene is a late afternoon in early October. Reta has dropped by the Orangetown Library to pick up a book by Dennis Ford-Helpern, The Goodness Gap. She is acutely aware of the absurdity of believing that it is possible to obtain virtue simply by reading a book, and she knows that she could have purchased the book while in Toronto the week before. Instead, Reta has chosen to pursue the more difficult path of being good. She views her presence in the library as an act of the good citizen who continues to support her local public library. Thus, she believes that she has made the first small step in her resolve to reconnect with her daughter.

Tessa and Cheryl are the two local librarians, and each possesses a deep empathy for Reta and Tom in their present crisis with Norah. The...