50 pages • 1 hour read
JP DelaneyThe Girl Before
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2017A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 10-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 10 Summary: “A new friend confides she was once sent to prison for shoplifting. It was some time ago and she has turned her life around since. Do you: — Consider it irrelevant–everyone deserves a second chance — Appreciate her honesty in sharing this with you — Reciprocate by confiding a mistake of your own — Feel sorry for her that she was ever in that situation — Decide she’s not really the kind of person you want as a friend”
Jane worries about what Edward will think when she tells him that she’s pregnant, and spends some time reflecting on her stillbirth. To distract herself, she begins sorting out her notes on Emma’s death using Post-it notes to write down possibilities; she includes Simon, Edward, Saul, Deon Nelson, and Edward’s stalker on the list. After looking at the notes, she feels that she’s gotten “nowhere” (235) and goes to recycle them. In the recycle bin, she finds one of the sketches Edward did of her, and notes that there’s a kind of “double image” (235). The neighbor, Maggie, talks briefly to Jane about Emma’s “cancer treatment” (236). Jane realizes that Emma had told yet another lie. When Maggie leaves, Jane takes the Post-it notes back out of the recycling bin.
Jane goes to her sonogram appointment and the doctor tells her that while the placenta and umbilical cord are as they should be, there is a probability that her baby will have Down’s syndrome. Jane feels all of her “carefully laid plans” falling apart (241). Jane does more research about Down’s syndrome and cries.
Jane goes back to Carol Younson and tells her about all of Emma’s lies.
