Chapter 2, The Decision Summary and Analysis

Back in Chicago, Adrian falls ill, requiring an unspecified operation. Concerned for Adrian's health, Helen asks her boss for a year's leave to live in the woods. He sends her to speak to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is skeptical that such a plan would prove beneficial to Adrian's well-being. Helen admits that since she started reading about national parks as a child, she has wanted to write about nature in an experiential manner. Agreeing that isolation will free Adrian from the pathogens delaying his recovery, the psychiatrist gives Helen leave for two months. She has to return before winter.

The Hoovers drive back to their cabin, making slow progress due to treacherous conditions, roadwork, and rain. At the cabin, they exorcise the stench of mildew by opening the windows. After a bout of homemaking and a subsequent...