61 pages • 2 hours read
The Last Song
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Chapters 16-23Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, child death, and emotional abuse.
Chapter 16 Summary: “Steve”
Steve watches Ronnie return home looking troubled and decides to give her space. Jonah tells him that he overheard Ronnie fighting with Will, and Steve gently reprimands him for eavesdropping.
In a flashback, Steve recalls Pastor Harris chaperoning him at a piano competition. As a boy, he’d asked about the pastor’s nightly walks on the beach, and Harris explained that it was how he conversed with God. After putting Jonah to bed, Steve watches Ronnie sleep, feeling both happy that she is there and deeply lonely.
Early the next morning, Steve feels an urge to play and writes down a new musical idea. He then walks on the beach, seeking the spiritual peace that Pastor Harris once described and reflecting on his life.
Chapter 17 Summary: “Ronnie”
Ronnie wakes to see Officer Pete leaving after speaking with Steve and Pastor Harris. Steve informs her that the music store is pressing felony charges, meaning that she cannot return to New York at the end of summer. As Steve calls Kim with the news, a distraught Ronnie sits on a sand dune.
Steve joins Ronnie, admitting his own failures contributed to the divorce. He encourages her to speak with Will. Ronnie takes his advice, goes to the auto garage, and finds Will.
