Summary

Perry discusses the history of the “dying town” (65) of Sawmill Landing. He mentions the Native Americans who originally lived in the area, as well as the subsequent waves of French, Swedish, German, and Finnish immigrants. As timber companies sprung up in the late 19th century, Perry’s grandfather—a Finn named Pehr Peri—moved to Sawmill Landing. He had a son, although the identity of the child’s mother remained a mystery. Both Perry’s grandfather and father were preachers who “saw no hope and offered none… [They] preached simple heroism” (72). Perry recalls faint memories of his mother and of Harvey’s birth.

Perry and Harvey hike together to an unnamed lake that Harvey once visited with their father; Perry would typically stay home during these trips. Harvey is enamored with the wilderness. They discuss Addie. While swimming, Perry nearly drowns before Harvey...