57 pages 1 hour read

Eleanor Catton

Birnam Wood

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023

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Part 3, Pages 277-361Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3, Pages 277-361 Summary

Lady Darvish has a long day at work and so asks her husband not to call but to text when he makes it to Thorndike so that she can sleep. The next morning, she wonders why he didn’t send a text. Lemoine calls asking if she’s heard from Owen since he was supposed to meet them at the farm that morning and didn’t turn up. Jill insists that he should be there and rushes home to check the “Find My Phone” app as Lemoine suggests. It reveals that his phone was last located near the farm. While Lemoine goes to look for him, Lady Darvish snoops in Owen’s email and finds something dated from weeks ago from Lemoine about Birnam Wood. She is surprised, as Owen usually tells her everything. She researches Birnam Wood and becomes suspicious when she sees pictures of smiling, healthy young women gardening. She thinks of the email from Tony and leaves him a voicemail asking if he knows anything about Owen. Lemoine calls back and begins to tell her that her husband is dead, but she faints before he can finish.

The narrative shifts back in time; Lemoine starts to plan from the moment he sees Darvish’s body, deciding what truths can be changed.

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By Eleanor Catton