Years of Grace · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Years of Grace by Margaret Ayer Barnes.
Chapter 1
Dedication
A brief dedication to C. B., acknowledging their role as a listener to the story.
Chapter 2
Years of Grace
The chapter explores the passage of time and the quiet, often painful, reflections of Jane as she navigates middle age, observing the lives of her children and the changing dynamics within her family and social circle.
Chapter 3
Part I: André
The chapter introduces Jane Ward and her family, including her sister Isabel and their interactions with André Duroy, a Frenchman who becomes a significant figure in their lives. Themes of love, marriage, and social class emerge as the family navigates relationships and expectations.
Chapter 4
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 5
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 6
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 7
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 8
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 9
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 10
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 11
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 12
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 13
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 14
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 15
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 16
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 17
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 18
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 19
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 20
VI
Jane, Stephen, Cicily, and Albert visit the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. Jane reflects on her youth and her past relationship with André Duroy while gazing at his sculpture of Eve. Cicily's casual remarks about the statue and Duroy's work prompt Jane to contemplate aging, romance, and the passage of time.
Chapter 21
Part II: Stephen
This section introduces Stephen, exploring his character and his relationships, particularly with Jane. It delves into themes of love, marriage, and personal ambition as Stephen navigates his own path.
Chapter 22
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 23
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 24
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 25
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 26
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 27
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 28
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 29
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 30
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 31
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 32
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 33
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 34
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 35
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 36
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 37
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 38
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 39
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 40
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 41
Part III: Jimmy
The chapter focuses on Jimmy Trent, a young man who visits the family and becomes a source of gossip and romantic tension, particularly with Jane. Muriel spreads rumors about Jane and Jimmy, leading to social complications and reflections on marriage and reputation.
Chapter 42
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 43
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 44
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 45
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 46
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 47
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 48
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 49
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 50
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 51
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 52
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 53
VI
Jane, Stephen, Cicily, and Albert visit the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. Jane reflects on her youth and her past relationship with André Duroy while gazing at his sculpture of Eve. Cicily's casual remarks about the statue and Duroy's work prompt Jane to contemplate aging, romance, and the passage of time.
Chapter 54
VII
Jane receives a letter from Isabel detailing family news: Belle's engagement to Billy Winter, the aging and decline of their mother, and the complications of modern divorce and remarriage. Meanwhile, Cicily's divorce is finalized, and Jane reflects on the metaphysical implications of marriage and divorce.
Chapter 55
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 56
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 57
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 58
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 59
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 60
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 61
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 62
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 63
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 64
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 65
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 66
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 67
VI
Jane, Stephen, Cicily, and Albert visit the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. Jane reflects on her youth and her past relationship with André Duroy while gazing at his sculpture of Eve. Cicily's casual remarks about the statue and Duroy's work prompt Jane to contemplate aging, romance, and the passage of time.
Chapter 68
VII
Jane receives a letter from Isabel detailing family news: Belle's engagement to Billy Winter, the aging and decline of their mother, and the complications of modern divorce and remarriage. Meanwhile, Cicily's divorce is finalized, and Jane reflects on the metaphysical implications of marriage and divorce.
Chapter 69
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 70
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 71
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 72
Part IV: Cicily, Jenny, and Steve
The chapter focuses on Cicily, Jenny, and Steve, exploring their relationships and personal developments within the family dynamics.
Chapter 73
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 74
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 75
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 76
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 77
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 78
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 79
VI
Jane, Stephen, Cicily, and Albert visit the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. Jane reflects on her youth and her past relationship with André Duroy while gazing at his sculpture of Eve. Cicily's casual remarks about the statue and Duroy's work prompt Jane to contemplate aging, romance, and the passage of time.
Chapter 80
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 81
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 82
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 83
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 84
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 85
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 86
VI
Jane, Stephen, Cicily, and Albert visit the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. Jane reflects on her youth and her past relationship with André Duroy while gazing at his sculpture of Eve. Cicily's casual remarks about the statue and Duroy's work prompt Jane to contemplate aging, romance, and the passage of time.
Chapter 87
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 88
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 89
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 90
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 91
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 92
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 93
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 94
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 95
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 96
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 97
VI
Jane, Stephen, Cicily, and Albert visit the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. Jane reflects on her youth and her past relationship with André Duroy while gazing at his sculpture of Eve. Cicily's casual remarks about the statue and Duroy's work prompt Jane to contemplate aging, romance, and the passage of time.
Chapter 98
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 99
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 100
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 101
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 102
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 103
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 104
VI
Jane, Stephen, Cicily, and Albert visit the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. Jane reflects on her youth and her past relationship with André Duroy while gazing at his sculpture of Eve. Cicily's casual remarks about the statue and Duroy's work prompt Jane to contemplate aging, romance, and the passage of time.
Chapter 105
I
Jane Ward, now a middle-aged woman, stands in her hotel room at the Plaza in New York, looking out over Central Park as she prepares to sail to Paris with her husband Stephen. Their journey is not a holiday but a 'monstrous pilgrimage' to attend the divorce and remarriage of their daughter Cicily. Jane reflects on her past, particularly her first love André, and feels a guilty excitement about the trip. She meets with her daughter Jenny, who avoids mentioning Cicily's situation, and later lunches with her old friend Agnes Johnson, feeling young again in spirit despite her aged appearance.
Chapter 106
II
Jane visits Agnes at her Beekman Place home, where they discuss their children, careers, and the passage of time. Agnes reflects on her success as a playwright and her daughter's ambitions, while Jane thinks about Jimmy and the limits of intergenerational understanding.
Chapter 107
III
Jane and Stephen attend a modern penthouse party hosted by Jenny and Barbara, where they observe the younger generation's behavior—drinking, jazz, and modern art—feeling disconnected and worried about Cicily, though the topic is avoided.
Chapter 108
IV
Jane and Stephen travel to Paris for Cicily's impending marriage to Albert, following her divorce from Jack. The family gathers at the train station, where Cicily's cheerful chatter masks the underlying tension of the complicated situation. Jane reflects on the moral ambiguity of the engagement and the family's attempt to treat it as a purely social occasion.
Chapter 109
V
Jane reunites with Flora Furness in her Paris hotel room. They discuss Cicily's marriage, Muriel's happiness with Ed Brown, and André Duroy's absence from Paris. Flora reveals she wrote to André about Cicily's wedding, stirring old emotions in Jane as she reflects on her past with André and her marriage to Stephen.
Chapter 110
VI
Jane, Stephen, Cicily, and Albert visit the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. Jane reflects on her youth and her past relationship with André Duroy while gazing at his sculpture of Eve. Cicily's casual remarks about the statue and Duroy's work prompt Jane to contemplate aging, romance, and the passage of time.
Chapter 111
VII
Jane receives a letter from Isabel detailing family news: Belle's engagement to Billy Winter, the aging and decline of their mother, and the complications of modern divorce and remarriage. Meanwhile, Cicily's divorce is finalized, and Jane reflects on the metaphysical implications of marriage and divorce.
Chapter 112
VIII
Three days after the civil ceremony, Cicily and Albert's church wedding takes place in Flora's Paris drawing-room. Jane arrives with Stephen and is shocked to see André Duroy, who looks exactly like his father Mr. Duroy, bringing back memories of Chicago in the early nineties. During the ceremony, Jane learns from Cicily that Isabel married Billy Winter the day before. As the clergyman reads the wedding service, Jane is haunted by the ghost of Jack, standing at Cicily's side.
Chapter 113
IX
Jane reflects on the disillusion of life and the choices she has made, while reuniting with André Duroy in his Paris studio after thirty-four years. She contemplates her children's happiness and the sacrifices of her own past, grappling with themes of regret, grace, and the paths not taken.
Chapter 114
Chapter X
Jane visits Stephen and the grandchildren in Paris, where Stephen reads King Arthur stories to the twins and Robin Redbreast. Jane reflects on the passage of time, her children growing up, and her recent preoccupations with André and Jimmy. The family plans to see The Mikado, and Jane feels a renewed appreciation for Stephen.
