Summary

The novel begins with a short piece, before the prologue, in which the narrator tries to describe the nature of the body of water at the end of the lane. Each of the Hempstock women describe what seems to the narrator to be a small duck pond differently.

It may not be a duck pond after all; it might actually be the ocean that connects this world to another world entirely.

Prologue: The narrator shows up at the duck pond after having attended a funeral. He recognizes the house, which has not changed, even though much of the neighborhood has been developed. He parks his car and walks to the pond. Mrs. Hempstock comes out to greet him. She offers him tea, and he starts to recall the true significance of the pond and what happened there.

Chapter 1: The narrator says no one...