45 pages 1 hour read

In the Midst of Winter

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2017

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Chapters 7-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 7 Summary

Before Andres had the opportunity to meet his mother in the U.S., the MS-13 gang exacted revenge on Gregorio’s family. When Concepcion was away, the gang members killed Andres and violently raped Evelyn. When Concepcion returned home to see the bloodshed, she was able to get Evelyn to the hospital in time to heal her physically, but Andres was already dead.

When Evelyn was able to regain consciousness, she became mute. Concepcion took Evelyn to see a healer, Felicita, who fed the young girl a medicinal tea that made her have hallucinogenic dreams. Evelyn dreamed that her two brothers’ bodies were intact and that there was a jaguar that protected her throughout her journey. She was able to speak again, but only a few words. Felicita explained that the jaguar represented “the power of life that the ancients had” (94). To dream of the jaguar was a good omen.

With the help of a priest, Father Benito, and a doctor, Nuria Castell, Concepcion was able to secure a “coyote,” or guide, through an agency who could deliver Evelyn to Chicago. Miriam’s earnings were able to pay for most of the journey. In preparation for the trip, Evelyn was told to pretend to be Mexican when they reached Mexico, and to pretend to be completely mute to avoid detection by the authorities. There were other people on the journey with her who were also given new identities. Evelyn and her grandmother exchanged a tearful goodbye, knowing that they would likely never see each other again.

Chapter 8 Summary

On the night that Evelyn arrived at Richard’s house, Richard had expressed sympathy for Evelyn’s story, explaining that Lucia was also a “refugee” (101). Lucia clarified though that her story was not nearly as tragic as Evelyn’s journey. She further explained that after Lena sent her to the Venezuelan Embassy, she waited for two months before safe-conduct was issued for her to leave the country. Her mother warned her, “Don’t return until there’s democracy in Chile” (102). She ended up in Venezuela where she lived temporarily, working as a receptionist for a plastic surgeon. While there, she fell in love with another Chilean refugee who convinced her to move with him to Montreal.

In Montreal, Lucia’s romance with the man soured when he became an out-of-work alcoholic. He had suffered greatly as he was tortured during his escape from Chile and received therapy through the refugee program in Montreal. He gained support to write a memoir about his experiences while Lucia worked two jobs to support them. Fed up with taking care of this man, Lucia eventually left for Vancouver. Meanwhile, Lucia and Lena’s relationship deepened through letters they sent each other.

Meanwhile, Lena became obsessed with finding Enrique. One day, a patrolman came to Lena’s home and said that Enrique had died due to a fatal accident. He needed Lena to prepare a coffin for his immediate burial and make sure to retrieve the body without ever opening the casket. Lena disobeyed these instructions and opened the casket to find that the dead body did not belong to Enrique. She thought it possible that the body belonged to Lucia’s half-brother, though she could not locate her former husband’s other spouse to confirm. Lena finally told Lucia the truth about her father when she visited her daughter in Canada, revealing his bigamy and the possibility of a shared sibling. Concerned about Lena’s obsession with finding Enrique and confirming the identity of the body in the coffin, Lucia advised her mother to come to terms with not knowing his whereabouts. Lena refused, stating, “I’ll accept your brother’s death when I have some proof” (110).

Chapter 9 Summary

When Richard and Lucia suggest taking Evelyn home, Evelyn becomes distressed once again and confesses that she cannot return to her employers because the car she stole has a dead body in the trunk. She explains that the body belongs to Kathryn Brown, the physical therapist who comes twice a week to help Frankie, the Leroys’ son who has cerebral palsy. Mrs. Leroy does not like Kathryn because she is “indecent” (125) due to the way she dresses. Mr. Leroy dismisses Mrs. Leroy’s complaints, claiming she is jealous of Kathryn’s youth and beauty. When Evelyn last saw Kathryn, she overheard her being fired by Mrs. Leroy. She believes that Mr. Leroy might have something to do with Kathryn’s murder because he is a violent man who has been overheard threatening harm against his wife and son before.

Lucia convinces the three of them to examine the body in the trunk, narrowly drawing suspicion of a passing police car. While Richard is insistent on kicking Evelyn out of the house to avoid being an accomplice to the crime, Lucia responds, “These things happen in life” (120). Lucia informs Richard that since Evelyn is an undocumented immigrant and therefore “the weakest link in the chain” (115), she would automatically become a suspect for the homicide.

Lucia and Richard decide to take the dead body far away to dispose of it. Richard offers his friend Horacio’s cabin, which is situated in a remote forest. Horacio returned to Argentina after his father died and has not returned, leaving Richard to take over his position at NYU as well as his home. He also left Richard in charge of his cabin as well.

Before leaving, Lucia calls the Leroys’ home to make sure that Frankie is being tended to in Evelyn’s absence. An angry woman’s voice on the other end suggests that Mrs. Leroy is home with Frankie. Once this is confirmed, Lucia, Richard, and Evelyn set out for Horacio’s cabin. While Richard had been reluctant and fearful before, he finds himself increasingly involved in the plan.

Chapters 7-9 Analysis

When Evelyn shares greater details about the circumstances in Guatemala leading to her migration to the U.S., Richard attempts to bridge her experiences with Lucia’s identity as a “refugee.” Lucia’s response that her experience differs from Evelyn’s shows her unique understanding of the variant political histories that define their situations. Lucia’s ability to access support through the Venezuelan embassy for her departure from Chile is not a privilege that Evelyn could afford. In Evelyn’s town, the only reliable resource was members of the church who aided Evelyn in her migration to the U.S.. Whereas Lucia and Evelyn suffered personal losses through the political strife in their respective countries, Lucia had the opportunity to return once the governmental power shifted in Chile; it would still be highly dangerous for Evelyn to return to Guatemala as she would be subjected to further gang violence and possible death.

By articulating the common ground between them as well as the sharp differences due to the variant levels of power and privilege that they each possess, Lucia is able to convince Richard to become not only physically but emotionally involved in helping Evelyn. She explains to Richard that Evelyn experiences a higher risk as she is “the weakest link in the chain:” an undocumented Central American woman whose English and educational level cannot afford her the ability to adequately advocate for herself in U.S. court of law. Meanwhile, as Richard is white and possesses educational and class privilege, he can absorb some of the risk that Evelyn might endure because he can afford to spare it.

This reasoning resonates with Richard because his father had employed the same logic given his survival through the Nazi regime. Richard’s father imparted the belief that as he was assisted by strangers during his escape from the Nazis; he therefore felt determined to help undocumented migrants and other marginalized people in his later life. While Richard is aware of his father’s history, he has rarely taken the same risk in his own life, embodying similar beliefs but never enacting them. Meeting Evelyn and prompted by Lucia, Richard finds his opportunity.

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