Mad Honey
by Jodi Picoult
Year
2022
Pages
509
Contents
Lily 4
Summary
- The chapter is dated November 9, 2018, set four weeks prior to the present moment.
- Lily and Maya are at the Adams High basketball court after a fencing team practice.
- Lily is teaching Maya how to do a flèche attack in fencing, although she'd prefer to be home coping with her recent breakup.
- Lily had an intense breakup with Asher a week prior and hasn't communicated with him since then.
- During the lesson, Lily has an emotional breakdown, and Maya comforts her, prompting Lily to open up about what's troubling her.
- Lily reflects on her depression and history of bad experiences that have led her to feel like she's drowning in sadness.
- Maya tries to understand Lily's situation, speculating that Lily's issues might be linked to her relationship with Asher.
- Lily admits that Asher has been acting strange since they had sex, and she wonders if she and Asher moved too quickly.
- Maya shares her perspective on growing up as an Asian girl with two mothers in a primarily white and straight environment, suggesting that experiences like these have made her wise and resilient.
- Lily considers sharing deep personal issues with Maya but hesitates, fearing to lose her as she did Asher.
- Maya insists on showing Lily something, and they end up driving to a remote location in the Sandwich Range Wilderness with Maya's mother's Range Rover.
- Maya and Lily arrive at an old fire tower after trespassing on US Forest Service property, where Maya encourages Lily to climb for a better view.
- Atop the tower, they are met with stunning views of the White Mountains, and Lily sees a bald eagle for the first time.
- Initially, Lily is unimpressed by the scenery. However, when prompted by Maya to look more closely, she sees graffiti of Asher's name crossed out with negative sentiment.
- The graffiti leads to a conversation about former relationships and life beyond high school, helping Lily to envision a future where her current problems seem less significant.
- Maya reassures Lily that her pain won't last forever, as they stand looking out at the landscape.
- The chapter closes with Lily gesturing with an imaginary sword toward the universe and saying "En garde," as if to challenge her problems head-on.