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Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 — “Found Objects”
In this chapter, we meet Sasha. We find out that she has a severe case of kleptomania. She has been stealing for a very long time and has found help in therapy for it. However, she is still stealing. While on a date in this chapter, Sasha steals the wallet of a woman in the bathroom, which she returns but does not get in trouble for. She then finishes the date and goes home with the man where we find her table of stolen items that she has kept over the years but cannot seem to get rid of them or even use them in her everyday life.
Chapter 2 — “The Gold Cure”
In this chapter, we meet Bennie. Bennie is a very well known music producer, who recently sold his company, but continues to work for it. It is after his divorce from Stephanie and he spends most of this chapter with his son, Christopher. Since the divorce, Bennie has felt that he has not had much of a sexual drive. Therefore, he starts putting pure gold in flake form into his beverages.
Chapter 3 — “Ask Me If I Care”
In this chapter, we go back in time to when Bennie is a teenager, hanging out with a group of friends Scotty, Alice, Jocelyn, and Rhea. It is told from the point of view of Rhea. This is the chapter where Jocelyn meets Lou and sets the group into a tailspin. Since Scotty had feelings for Jocelyn, to cope he moved on to Alice who was practically in love with him. This hurts Bennie since he had feelings for Alice but leaves Rhea on her own because she also developed feelings for Bennie.
Chapter 4 — “Safari”
In this chapter, we follow Lou’s family on a vacation trip to Africa with his son, daughter, and new girlfriend. This chapter takes place in three different sections, Grass, Hills, and Sand. Each takes place during a different part of the trip. The first is one night of the trip when everyone is around a fire and we learn that Charlie, his daughter, is unhappy that her father already has a new girlfriend. The second is on a safari trip where the group encounters a pack of lions feasting on a zebra. The last is a few nights later after the encounter when the group is staying in a hotel for the night.
Chapter 5 — “You (Plural)”
In this chapter, Rhea and Jocelyn go to visit Lou, an old friend. Lou is dying, Rhea and Jocelyn are both 43 years old, and Rhea has three children. In the chapter we learn about Jocelyn’s relationship with Lou’s son, Rolph. We also learn that Rolph has since passed away. His death occurred when he was 28 years old.
Chapter 6 — “X’s and O’s”
This chapter revisits Scotty and Bennie. Scotty returns from “hiding” and writes Bennie in order to prepare for a visit. Scotty is a little bit on the crazy side, and brings in a fish to Bennie’s office. In this chapter, Scotty reflects on his personal theories about life. We find out that Scotty had married Alice, and that they have since gotten a divorce. The marriage only lasted four years. Bennie informs Scotty that he is married and has a three-month-old son. At the end of the chapter, Scotty gets his jacket cleaned again.
Chapter 7 — “A to B”
This chapter takes place 10 years before “The Gold Cure” chapter. This chapter explains the relationship between Bennie and his wife Stephanie. They’ve recently moved to Crandale with their son, Chris. At this point, Chris is in Kindergarten. We find out about Bennie’s affair with Kathy, an annoying neighbor, and the fact the Stephanie tries to become best friends with her. We also find out that people assume Bennie is a terrorist because of his skin tone. We also find out that Stephanie has a brother, Jules, who has been in prison. The chapter also refers back to Bosco because Stephanie has a meeting with him to discuss his “suicide tour.” We also find out that La Doll is Stephanie’s boss.
Chapter 8 — “Selling the General”
In this chapter, Dolly is working as the public relations representative for the General, who is a very bad man. She matches him up with a young star, Kitty Jackson, in order to allow him to have a different image. The General’s soldiers take Kitty away, but in the end of the chapter she is fine. Dolly gets fired in the end because of the incident.
Chapter 9 — “Forty-Minute Lunch: Kitty Jackson Opens Up About Love, Fame, and Nixon!”
This chapter is a news story written by Stephanie’s brother Jules while he was in prison. The story is about Kitty Jackson. Jules is having a mental breakdown, and ends up sexually assaulting Kitty in a public place. Throughout the story, Jules leaves footnotes of his own thoughts. The story was pre 9/11 and he was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
Chapter 10 — “Out of Body”
In this chapter Sasha, Rob and Drew are in college. We learn about Rob’s past and some of Sasha’s past as well. We visit the previous romance Rob shared with Sasha, though it was mostly inside his head. The chapter then visits the later relationship between Drew and Sasha. The chapter ends in Rob’s death.
Chapter 11 — “Goodbye, My Love”
In this chapter Sasha’s uncle Ted finds her in Naples. She’s about 21 years old, and is pretty much alone in the world. She steals in order to get by. Ted takes Sasha out to dinner, and they visit a club where Ted is pickpocketed. He finds Sasha again, and they reconnect at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 12 — “Great Rock and Roll Pauses”
This chapter is written from Sasha’s daughter’s point of view. Her name is Alison, and this chapter takes place towards the end of Sasha’s story after she’s been through college, worked for Bennie, etc. In this chapter Alison explains Sasha through her eyes.
Chapter 13 — “Pure Language”
In this chapter, the novel really wraps everything up. We hear the end of Alex’s story, and there is a return from Scotty as well. Lulu comes back into play, and the chapter focuses on the aspect of time pushing on and technological advances. The end of the chapter follows up with a view of New York City from Alex’s perspective as he sees a young girl enter an apartment building.
This page compiled by Owen Kosik, Morgan Ewald, and Tess Adamonis.