Summary

Peg and Nóra knitted together in the sun in Chapter 15, “Oak,” and discussed the fear that gripped the people of the valley in the wake of so much tragedy. The two agreed that Fr. Healy should not have disrespected Nance the way he did at Áine’s cabin. Despite her help, the valley was slowly turning on her, strengthened by the word of Fr. Healy. Peg shared that people believed Nance was responsible for Áine’s accident, and those who believed otherwise blamed Micheál’s fairy status. Nóra brought the boy back to Nance, desperate for the next step. She admitted she felt at one point that Micheál’s condition was the result of her own bad luck. When she asked to use fire and iron, Nance suggested they use the “boundary water” from where the three rivers intersected (275). She...