Summary

Chapter 11 – The chapter begins with a brief conversation between Sean and Vicky in which Sean learns (or is reminded, he can’t tell which) that Vicky works part time at a care facility (Loma Linda) that does facial reconstructive surgery; that in her opinion, techniques have advanced significantly since the first round of surgery on his face; and that she thinks Sean should call them. This thought triggers a fleeting echo in Sean’s mind of one of the tracks in Trace Italian: “DON FACE MASK. TRACE BACK. CONTINUE DUE EAST. DIG SHELTER.” This leads Sean into several recollections: of when his father told him of his grandmother’s death (in which Sean, in narration, refers to his accident, shooting himself “in the face with a Marlin 39A”); of the lies that the family constructed to tell Sean’s grandmother after the...