72 pages 2 hours read

Deborah Harkness

The Book of Life

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014

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Chapters 37-41Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 37 Summary

Diana and Baldwin travel to Venice. Diana participates in the Congregation conference, causing a stir when she assumes Baldwin’s role. During the conference, Diana discovers that Satu Järvinen is also a weaver. The meeting commences, and Diana requests the Congregation’s assistance in locating Benjamin. She provides the Congregation with details about Benjamin’s and Matthew’s blood rage and Benjamin’s ambition to create vampire-witch hybrids. Before casting their votes, the Congregation requests further information.

Chapter 38 Summary

Diana finds herself at odds with the Congregation’s voting procedure, which mandates three votes for each motion, followed by discussions. She initially loses the first vote due to concerns over her and Matthew’s covenant violations and the looming threat of blood rage. To address these concerns, Diana elucidates the role of weaver witches and presents the Book of Life to the Congregation. An intense dispute arises when members vie for the book, which remains closed to all except Diana. However, when it eventually opens, it reveals nothing but blank pages, intensifying the commotion. Diana clarifies that the book is composed of creatures and that its text has become a part of her, selected by the book itself due to her status as a weaver.