The Latecomer

Lewyn goes home for spring break, while Sally stays in Ithaca to work with Harriet, and Harrison remains at school. At home, it is clear to Lewyn that things are not going well; Salo is never home, and Johanna is in sole charge of the baby. One day Johanna has him sign guardianship papers for Phoebe. He is surprised, but Johanna says that all three of them will be guardians. He realizes that Johanna does not understand her children at all, but feels pressured, and so signs.

When he boards the bus back to Cornell a few days later, he sees Rochelle, who sits next to him. When they reintroduce, and she comments that he has the same last name as her roommate. He realizes that Sally is her roommate and has never mentioned him. He believes that Sally must hate him and is upset until he realizes that this means he is free, too. He tells Rochelle that Oppenheimer is just a common name.

During spring break, Sally visits Rochelle’s house unannounced. When she arrives, the house looks unoccupied and, from the way Rochelle’s mother answers the door, she realizes that she was wrong to come. Before she can leave, however, Rochelle returns. She is upset that Sally is there, but also resigned. She tells Sally that her mother is a hoarder, and she is not embarrassed, but will not let Sally in the house. Rochelle drops Sally at the train station, and she returns to Ithaca, after texting her mother about a fake internship with Harriet Greene.

On the bus back to Ithaca, Lewyn falls in love with Rochelle. He dodges her questions about his family and denies having siblings. Rochelle, on the other hand, is open about everything except for her mother, but Lewyn understands, from overheard phone conversations, that she is her mother’s caretaker in some way. One day he realizes he has lost weight, but this does not lead to a feeling of accomplishment, just the certainty that he has changed because of her. At the end of the term, Rochelle decides to stay for the summer to supervise high school students visiting the campus and asks if Lewyn will stay with her.

He agrees, and then finds out that Jonas is staying in Ithaca as well that summer, to participate in the annual Mormon pageant, and invites Lewyn and Rochelle to attend. After he is sure Sally has left campus, Lewyn goes to Rochelle’s room for the first time. Rochelle confesses that she has felt badly because she could tell her roommate was in love with her, and Lewyn suddenly understands Sally in a new way.

When Harrison and Eli travel to Virginia, to the Hayek Institute, Harrison confesses that it is his first visit to the South. He reflexively apologizes to Eli about slavery, and then draws a parallel between his own Jewish identity and Eli’s identity as a Black man. When Eli comments that Harrison has never identified himself as Jewish before, Harrison brings up his ancestor, Joseph Oppenheimer. He is surprised when Eli, who recognizes the name, compares it to being a descendant of Nat Turner. When they arrive, Eli introduces Harrison to his mentor, Dr. Gregories, who seems uncomfortable with Harrison’s Jewish heritage.

Over the next weeks, Harrison is excited to find himself in the company of famous, powerful men. Dr. Loring, who introduced him to Roarke, arrives and does not seem surprised to find him there. Upon hearing that Harrison is planning to go to Harvard, people encourage he and Eli to attend Oxford instead. He again experiences the sense of belonging that he has found at Roarke.

Eli and Harrison present on the same day, and Eli speaks first, about Booker T. Washington. He supports Washington’s theories, and the audience wholeheartedly supports him. When it is Harrison’s turn, he abandons his planned speech. Instead, he speaks about Walden, and his trouble with its approach to education. He offers the story of a prank involving watermelons, which were left in the Black dean’s office by students, who were also Black but were not aware of the symbolic significance of the watermelon. He claims that he was the only student who understood, because it had been omitted from their education at Walden, deemed too painful to be addressed. He gets visibly worked up by the story, and other perceived injustices perpetrated on him at Walden, and the audience is wildly supportive.

Lewyn stays in Ithaca that summer, after Johanna secures a promise from him to return in September for their annual birthday celebration on Martha’s Vineyard. He can tell that something is still wrong at home but does not want to delve into it. The only thing he cares about is Rochelle, who tells him that Sally is in Ithaca as well, living with Harriet Greene. He does not worry about running into her but does wonder and worry about her living off campus with an unknown woman.

Lewyn has become genuinely interested in art and enrolls in an art history class for the summer. One night, he and Rochelle run into Jonas at a nearby restaurant, who asks again if they will come to the pageant. When Jonas draws a parallel between hecklers at the pageant and the oppression of the Jewish people, Rochelle is disgusted. However, Lewyn wants to go and, after they discuss it at length, she agrees.

On the day of the pageant, Lewyn, Rochelle, and Mark, one of Jonas’s friends, drive there together. While Mark and Rochelle wait, Lewyn takes a tour of the Sacred Grove. He has the strange experience of asking where it is, only to find that he is in it. When he returns, Rochelle and Mark are unhappy, but they all go to the pageant anyway. During the pageant, Lewyn is struck by the belief and unity of the audience, wondering why these people seem to be experiencing something that he and his family have never found.

Sally has moved in with Harriet, who needs help with her collection. She resolves to spend as little time on Martha’s Vineyard in September as possible. She often asks to go along with Harriet on her picking expeditions, but it is several weeks before Harriet agrees. The house they go to is decrepit, filthy, and full of unidentifiable objects. The people who own it do not want to be bothered with cleaning it, and so Harriet has agreed to do so, in exchange for anything she finds within.

The house is so noxious they can barely stay inside, but in the end they spend a week and find a number of important pieces. Sally understands, now, the nature of Harriet’s work. Harriet, however, is clearly not healthy, and she wonders how long the older woman will be able to do this.

When she does return to campus, she eventually realizes that Rochelle is keeping something from her. She assumes that Rochelle has fallen in love, and they fall out of touch completely. Sally absorbs herself with her work with Harriet, losing interest in Cornell. On the way to Harriet’s house one day, she sees Rochelle and Lewyn together in a Starbuck’s. It is clear from their behavior that they are in a relationship and have been for some time. She assumes that Rochelle knows that Lewyn is her brother, and that is the reason for Rochelle’s withdrawal. She thinks Rochelle is angry with her for keeping Lewyn a secret, and that it is her fault the relationship disintegrated.

She asks Rochelle to coffee to reconcile, and during their conversation it becomes clear that Rochelle does not know that Lewyn is Sally’s brother. Sally sees that Lewyn has kept this information from Rochelle and invites Rochelle to join Sally’s family on Martha’s Vineyard in September for a family celebration.

In September, the Oppenheimers converge at their Martha’s Vineyard cottage for the triplet’s birthday. Johanna and Phoebe, who is still just a baby, have been living there for most of the summer. Although Johanna tries to make it a family occasion, everyone else does their best to avoid each other. Harrison wants Salo to be interested in his life, but Lewyn is the only one who asks, and Harrison does not like his reaction.

Sally suddenly feels that what she is doing to Lewyn is childish, even if he deserves it. Harrison and Lewyn take her car, which she borrowed from Harriet, to buy champagne, without asking. Johanna asks her to sign the guardianship papers and, when Sally is reluctant, loses her temper. Sally is surprised by this new side of Johanna and recognizes that something has shifted. Their conversation works around to Johanna and Salo’s relationship, and Johanna indicates that she is considering leaving him.

On the way to pick Rochelle up from the ferry, Sally passes Harrison and Lewyn on the road. In their car, they are sparring about Lewyn’s girlfriend and Harrison’s intellectual pursuits. In a final jab intended to surprise his brother, Lewyn tells Harrison that Sally is a lesbian. He enjoys having the upper hand for once, but feels guilty, and even more guilty about his dishonesty with Rochelle. He decides that he will tell her the truth when he returns to Ithaca. When they get back to the house, Lewyn helps the catering company set up for their annual clambake. The rest of the family are in the house, including Salo, who has been on the phone for most of the day.

Her family has made her angry enough that Sally does not feel guilty anymore. She regrets the inevitable loss of Rochelle’s friendship but is still going to carry out her plan. They take their time returning to the house, doing a little shopping. Rochelle wants to ride the famous carousel, but Sally puts her off until the next day, knowing that it will never happen.

In his office, Salo has spent the day making plans to leave Johanna. He feels guilty, but takes comfort that Johanna has Phoebe. He decides that, when the dust has settled, he wants to join the two pieces of his life and unite all his children. He plans to make the announcement after the clambake and hopes that the triplets will support Johanna.

Sally decides to talk to Lewyn and takes Rochelle up to her bedroom. First, however, she sees Johanna, and tells her that a friend has come to visit. Harrison comes into the kitchen, overhears, and smirks. Johanna broaches the topic of the guardianship papers to Harrison, but he rejects the idea. Rochelle comes downstairs and introduces herself to Harrison, who tries to impress her by talking about Roarke.

Johanna takes Phoebe down to the beach, and Sally and Rochelle follow. Lewyn is already there, talking to the caterers with his back to them. Johanna calls to Lewyn, who turns around and freezes, seeing Rochelle. He immediately apologizes to her, and their love is so clear that Sally becomes angry again. Rochelle asks Lewyn why and, when Sally tries to play the victim of Lewyn’s dishonesty, turns on her as well.

Harrison and Salo arrive on the beach, and Harrison asks Lewyn if Rochelle is his girlfriend who told him Sally was a lesbian. Sally vomits into the sand, and Lewyn starts crying, but Harrison is unrelenting. Rochelle leaves, Lewyn following her, and Sally sits in the sand, struggling with being outed. She tells Harrison she never wants to see him again and when Johanna protests, turns on her. Salo steps in to protect Johanna, and Sally implies that she knows about Stella and his son. When Lewyn returns, Sally tells everyone that he is thinking about converting to Mormonism.

The family returns to the house and Salo tells Johanna that he has an early flight to Boston the next morning, and their marriage is over. Sally catches the ferry early the next morning, the only one to leave before they shut the ferries down. Salo dies on his flight from Boston to New York, in one of the planes hijacked in the September 11 terrorist attack.