Summary

In the section “Ghost Heart” Suzanne “Suzy” Swanson, the narrator of the novel, describes jellyfish as appearing to beat like a heart. Her science teacher, Mrs. Turton, had told her that over an 80-year lifetime, a heart beats three billion times. Suzy’s focus turns to a person standing on a beach looking at the waves. That person’s mother is taking a picture of her. She suggests that person’s heart might stop beating in just a few minutes without that person or her mother being aware.

In the section “Purpose” of Part One of the novel, Suzy uses her teacher’s words to explain the reasons for including an introduction in a scientific report and how this introduction should explain the purpose of one’s research.

In the section “Touch” Suzy believed she had become...