49 pages • 1 hour read
The Hollow Places
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Chapters 1-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
The novel begins with Kara, a 34-year-old graphic designer, describing the Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities, and Taxidermy. Located in Hog Chapel, North Carolina, and owned by her uncle Earl, the museum is a storefront collection of taxidermy and artifacts that reflect her uncle’s eclectic blend of Christianity and paranormal beliefs. Kara narrates her story retrospectively.
In the present, Kara describes her mutual divorce from Mark and the prospect of moving in with her mother, with whom she has a strained relationship. In flashbacks, she recalls spending time at the museum as a child and arguing with Uncle Earl about science and religion, though she found the museum to be a refuge. Eighteen years later, Uncle Earl, who runs the museum and suffers from gout, calls to offer her the spare room in the back. Kara accepts with relief and agrees to move in.
Chapter 1 Summary
The novel begins with Kara, a 34-year-old graphic designer, describing the Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities, and Taxidermy. Located in Hog Chapel, North Carolina, and owned by her uncle Earl, the museum is a storefront collection of taxidermy and artifacts that reflect her uncle’s eclectic blend of Christianity and paranormal beliefs. Kara narrates her story retrospectively.
In the present, Kara describes her mutual divorce from Mark and the prospect of moving in with her mother, with whom she has a strained relationship. In flashbacks, she recalls spending time at the museum as a child and arguing with Uncle Earl about science and religion, though she found the museum to be a refuge. Eighteen years later, Uncle Earl, who runs the museum and suffers from gout, calls to offer her the spare room in the back. Kara accepts with relief and agrees to move in.
Chapter 2 Summary
On a rainy Monday, Kara moves into the Wonder Museum and observes Hog Chapel, a small town struggling economically behind a quaint facade. Uncle Earl bought the building where the museum resides several decades earlier, and though isn’t very profitable, it isn’t expensive to run, either.
