Chapter 1 Summary

Some of the villagers are talking about an accident they witnessed with a woman driver and a tractor. Separately, the woman, Claudia, who is the woman who had been driving the car that had gotten into the accident recalls the accident. She recalls that the driver of the tractor hadn't been much older than Jerome. Claudia thinks about what a nice morning it is and that it's a shame that her husband had to be taken away this morning to start his prison sentence.

Claudia had chosen the village and the bungalow where she lives now when her London home had been up for sale and they had known her husband would have to go away to prison. Claudia tries to recall what caused her to lose her concentration and cause the accident on the road. Claudia has a small cut from the...