Summary

Chapter 15 begins after the party, as Truman made the rounds, visiting friends to see what they liked best about the evening. Slim had read all the papers but only showed him those that were complimentary toward the event. The papers she did not show him ran in two directions: (1) that Truman would never write anything serious again, and (2) how appalling it was that he hosted an extravagant party based on the slaughter of an American family. His last visit of the day was to Babe’s home, where he fell asleep with his head in her lap as she told him stories about the party. She felt needed like her children had never needed her. But children grow up, she thought, and Truman never would. He would remain the same.

The next chapter titled “La Côte Basque, October 17, 1975” steps forward in time...