Through Black Spruce

Will spends more time with the Attawapiskat family, two grandparents and two granddaughters. Initially he’s trying to “figure out when it was they were to leave so that I could begin my own packing,” but he likes spending time with them (219). Will hunts geese with the old man one day, deciding to drink if the hunt is successful. The two men spent the day in a blind, waiting for the geese to show. They spot one flock and shoot six geese; “Old Koosis sniffed the air. ‘More within an hour or two’” (224). Will learns that the old man’s wife has bad health, diabetes and early dementia, which explains why she is so forward and asks socially inappropriate questions. Will drinks too much during the hunt; “I weaved and stumbled from the rye, and this made me sad […] but today I never really got that first hour of elation when the drinking starts” (226). Embarrassed about being drunk in front of the old man’s family, he heads home instead of sharing dinner.

In New York, Gordon and Annie are at Soleil’s fancy party. Like usual, Annie loses sight of Gordon, which makes her feel uncomfortable.