Summary

Chapter 23 begins with the narrative quickly recapping the Calloway’s holiday season. It covers Halloween, Thanksgiving, before moving to Christmas. The story picks up at the end of a dinner at a hip new restaurant Russell, Corinne, Washington, and Veronica are at. Corrine and Veronica discuss Christmas shopping and plans as the men divide up the bill.

On the way home Corrine recalls an incident when she stopped to give money and her scarf to a cold young boy huddled in a doorway. The novel then jumps to Corrine at her mother’s house the day before Christmas Eve. Her mother, Jessie, has a vodka at four in the afternoon and they talk about Corrine reconciling with her sister. Jessie brings the conversation to a halt with her comment about her husband running off with her best friend, which, it is remarked in...