Chapter 5 Summary

Mark continues to meet various villagers and get acquainted with all the corners of his remote parish. He is starting to despair of actually making friends with anyone including Jim until one afternoon when they are returning from a trip. A run of humpback salmon enters the river the same time they do, and Mark quotes an old poem he learned from a book equating the salmon to a swimmer. Jim is eager to learn the history of the poem, as it contains a history of his people that most have forgotten. In turn, he takes Mark to the headwaters where the salmon spawn and die, ending their journey. They share a picnic with Marta, Keetah and several children that are gathering blueberries and enjoying the end of the summer. This is the first time that Mark has felt like he truly belongs...