72 pages • 2 hours read
If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood
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Part 5Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 5: “Scapegoat Ron”
Chapter 49 Summary
Shelly makes a new friend named Ron Woodworth while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, where they are both helping an elderly woman with dozens of cats who is about to be evicted from her home. Ron, a cat enthusiast with several of his own, helps the cats find new homes.
Tori visits Ron’s trailer, which she remembers as being smelly, dirty, and full of cats. She grows close to Ron, calling him “Uncle Ron,” and he shows her his books on Egyptology. He believes in Egyptian ideas about the afterlife, and he tells Tori all about these beliefs during her visits.
Ron moves to South Bend, Washington, in 1992 with his then partner, Gary Neilson. Gary is the love of his life, and they have been together for 17 years before the move, although their relationship has been under a lot of pressure in the lead-up to the relocation. After Ron’s father dies in 1996, he grows increasingly unstable, leading to his break-up with Gary in 1997. Ron buckles under the weight of his grief for his father and his relationship to Gary.
Ron’s friends grow increasingly worried about him, including his dear friend Sandra Broderick. Concerned for his well-being, Sandra floats an offer to Ron and Ron’s mother, Catherine Woodworth, to stay in a house she owns in Tacoma, but he declines, saying he is moving in with new friends Shelly and Plus, gain access to 8,650+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
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