Summer Island: A Novel

Ruby goes to Nora’s apartment to gather some of her mother’s belongings. She is impressed with how ornate and beautiful the apartment is. While searching for clothes for Nora, she finds a box labeled “Ruby.” In it are all the gifts Ruby has sent back to her mother over the years. She decides to open one of the boxes and discovers a charm, and she realizes that the rest of the boxes include a charm bracelet. She begins to cry thinking about all the years they have been apart. However, Ruby quickly becomes angry, remembering everything Nora took away from her.

Ruby returns to Nora’s hospital room and bumps into a man who introduces himself as Nora’s psychiatrist. He expresses concern over Ruby caring for Nora when she’s in such a fragile state. He reveals he’s been seeing Nora for 15 years, which confuses Ruby because she thought everything was fine 15 years ago. He suggests that Nora was trying to die by suicide when she was driving the car, and he reminds Ruby that she doesn’t know Nora as well as she thinks she does.

Nora and Ruby begin driving to the island. They don’t talk on the ride, and Nora eventually falls asleep.