59 pages 1 hour read

Diane Chamberlain

The Last House on the Street

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022

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Chapters 40-53Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 40 Summary

As she mourns the volunteer life she left behind and feels remorse for the troubles she has caused her family, Ellie sees her mother hide an envelope in her apron. Later she finds it and discovers that it is a letter from Win asking if he can see her.

Chapter 41 Summary: “Kayla, 2010”

Lying with Rainie in the hammock on their deck after dark, Kayla sees a light that she realizes must be coming from the treehouse. She calls Officer Johns to investigate.

Chapter 42 Summary: “Ellie, 1965”

Ellie responds to Win’s letter, telling him where she will be. She climbs into the treehouse and waits for him. She is delighted when he finds her and climbs up beside her. Though she has long said that she would not have sex before she got married, Ellie eagerly has sex with Win. Afterward, they talk about the work they have done for SCOPE. Win asks if she would be willing to marry him if they could figure out a way to carry it off.

After Win leaves and Ellie walks home, she finds her family awake and waiting for her. They confront her about having been with Win and she tells them that she met with him to tell him that their relationship is over.