All the Water in the World

Nonie thinks about marking time. She explains the eras of Earth’s history and then creates her own demarcation of time. “The Monster in The Water” marks when the hypercane destroyed Amen, whereas “Light Rain You Can Open Up and Drink” marks when her mother died.

They continue up the river, passing a flooded power station. They wonder about the quality of the water. As the sun sets, they stop on an island.

Nonie recalls Mano. He fled San Juan when it flooded and flew into JFK to join Angel, his aunt. They, in turn, linked up with Keller.

Angel and Keller brought Mano to Amen when society collapsed. Mano and Bix were the same age and had a budding childhood romance. Mano was particularly thoughtful in talking to Nonie. He played Animal in Mind with her, seeing that it helped her manage stress.

Nonie wakes to sounds of wolves in the distance. Keller greets her, since he sat up all night on watch. He shares a story about how when he, Angel, and Mano were traveling to Amen, Angel fell and lost her pregnancy.

In a flashback, Nonie recalls Mano, as she often does when she’s afraid. Imagining their talks soothes her. She then recalls the day that Bix and Mano turned 16. They headed to the park to hunt but went further than they were usually allowed and encountered a dog pack. It attacked, and Mano died while rescuing Bix. Nonie and Bix had to hide in a tree until dark. Mano’s body was torn apart. Keller holds Bix responsible for this event.

They arrive at a bridge, disembark from the canoe, and carry the canoe into the woods. Many trees have burst, which Keller explains as Maple Death, a condition caused by hot weather. Keller gets Father to draw a map to the farm. They rest near West Point Military Academy. Nonie feels another storm approaching. Father says they can rest anywhere but West Point.

Nonie recalls talking to Jess, a member of Amen, about the Sally Ride expedition. Jess taught her nautical navigation skills and how to use a homemade barometer but called Nonie a human barometer. Nonie recounts how Amen slowly accepted her ability to predict weather after she warned them about a squall that destroyed half a crop and injured Rick.

They pass West Point before the storm hits, deciding that it’s too dangerous to approach. They avoid towns too. The river is fast, and they fight against it. They pass Storm King Mountain.

As night falls, they can’t find anywhere to rest. The rain begins. They’re soaked before finding a ruined building. Nonie doesn’t like the look of the building. The storm intensifies, and they’re forced to shelter in the ruins. Bix and Nonie climb in through a window, while Keller and Father circle around outside, looking for a way to bring the canoe in.

Within the building, it’s dark, and Bix leads Nonie onward. A bolt of lightning reveals two men, the Lost. They attack. Nonie escapes, but they grab Bix.

Nonie flees through the building until she finds Father and Keller trying to bring the canoe around. She tells them what happened, and they rush to rescue Bix. Nonie must wait with the boat.

Nonie hears screams and gunshots. While trying to arm herself with a paddle, she falls into the canoe, and it begins to drift away with her in it. Keller returns with Bix, whose clothes are torn open, and Father, who is wounded. The canoe floats into the storm, and Nonie can’t paddle back. Keller jumps into the water and swims toward Nonie and the canoe.

Tall waves nearly overwhelm Keller, and he inhales dirty water. He brings the canoe back around and recovers Bix and Father. The drifters attempted to sexually assault Bix, and Father was shot in the struggle. He’s bleeding badly from a severe wound in his chest. The group flees the ruins.

They beach the canoe in a forest and rest in a clearing. Bix is limping, and Keller is sputtering from the water in his lungs. They do their best to treat Father’s wound, but he’s weak. The novel reveals that Bix killed one of the drifters, and the other fell into the water. Father says they’re on Storm King Mountain.

Father is increasingly weak and recounts the story of his first kiss with Mother. They let him sleep. Bix and Nonie spoon with him, and Nonie realizes that Bix still has the gun from the ruin.

Father bleeds to death in his sleep.

The group takes his boots and buries him. Bix sings to mark the funeral, and she hugs Keller. Their relationship is healing through their shared grief.

Nonie recalls recovering Mano’s remains after the dog attack. She also recalls talking to him while he was still alive about his pet dog, Luca, whom he left behind in Puerto Rico. When they buried Mano, Angel made a cross to mark his grave instead of using stones like others in the community did.

Keller and Nonie drink tea, while Bix sleeps. Keller has a bad cough and needs medicine. They return to the canoe.

They remount the canoe, and Bix starts to help paddle, overcoming her fear of water.

When they go ashore to rest, Keller collapses. He has a fever, and his breathing is labored. He needs antibiotics.

Nonie and Bix struggle to transport Keller, who’s barely conscious. Bix’s leg is badly infected, since she was shot in the struggle at the ruins.

Keller is delirious with fever. They’re having a hard time controlling him. They don’t know how they’ll transport him over land. The fog on the river is thick, but they use Father’s compass to navigate. They spot a house on high ground, smoke coming out of its chimney.