Doubt thou the stars are fire; / Doubt thou the sun doth move; / Doubt truth to be a liar; / But never doubt I love.”
-- Narrator (Epilogue)

Importance: This short poem is from a letter written to Ophelia by Hamlet in the eponymous Shakespeare play, and Shreve borrows it for both her novel’s epigraph and title. It evokes both the novel’s central catalyzing incident, the Great Fires of 1947, and alludes to the central theme of love surviving any obstacle. While Grace and Aidan’s love is perhaps the most obvious instance, Marjorie’s love for Grace or Grace’s love for her own children are also key examples of this steadfast affection.

On the last beautiful afternoon, over two weeks ago, there was wash on the line in every front porch and backyard. With white sheets, undershirt, and rags flapping in the wind, it looked as though an entire town of women had...
-- Narrator (Chapter 1: Wet)