We Deserve Monuments

The family spends a quiet evening on the beach. Avery confesses she is uncertain she still plans to study astronomy, and Letty reassures her she “got all the time in the world” to figure it out (316). Avery and Zora tearfully admit they will miss Letty, and all three women express their love for one another. Avery cries when Letty speaks warmly of Ray, thinking of how she misses her friendship with Simone and Jade. Her cries turn to anger when she recalls Carl Oliver hugging her when he was one of her grandfather’s killers.

Zora expresses her pain over Letty’s years of abusive behavior. Letty apologizes, and mother and daughter cry together. They build a sandcastle, which they name the “Silver Meteor Castle” after Ray’s train (322). They play Ray’s favorite songs to celebrate the “grand opening” of his castle. They dance, knocking over the sandcastle in the process. Two nights later, Letty grows disoriented in the middle of the night, and Zora takes her to the hospital.

Amelia Oliver spent the day of her death at the Draper’s Christmas party, which she had planned for months. Lucas spent the evening with Tallulah, which hurt Amelia, even though she had known about his infidelity. She smoked cigarettes and imagined herself as a mermaid as someone stepped toward her with a gun.

Years later, a man sees three mermaids on a Kisabee Island beach, astonished at this miracle before he realizes it’s just three women dancing.

The Andersons clean Letty’s room in advance of her return home from the hospital. Doctors have predicted Letty has a week or two left to live and that there is no way to help her except to manage her pain. Zora and Avery both confess they are “not ready” to lose Letty. They listen to Zora’s favorite music while they clean Letty’s room, though they turn off the soundtrack to read Ray’s letters when they find them. Zora finds her own unanswered letters from college, which Letty read and kept, even if she didn’t respond. They chuckle that Letty will likely enjoy the clean room, but that she will pretend not to, out of stubbornness. Avery puts the photo of Ray and Letty at Kisabee Island in the “Love Forever” frame she bought on Halloween and their family photo from Kisabee in the other frame.

Simone appears at Avery’s window. They talk about Letty, though things between them are uncomfortable. Avery is upset when Simone confides she’s been talking to Jade, though the two haven’t entirely made up. Zora enters the room, and though Avery is worried her mother will be angry about Avery breaking her grounding rules, Zora explains instead that “it’s time,” and they rush off to see Letty at the hospital.

Simone joins the Andersons as they hurry to the hospital. Though the nurse reassures the family that Letty is still alive, Letty doesn’t respond as Zora tells Letty that her family is present and that they love her. Avery feels overwhelmed, upset that this has not gone how it was “supposed to.” At Zora’s urging, Avery shows Letty the two framed photographs and expresses her love.

Letty dies later that evening. Carole arrives and weeps, as do Zora and Simone. Avery feels it is a “sick joke” that Carole is pleasant to her only after Letty’s death. Avery imagines an afterlife for Letty that lets her live her life with Ray, which leads to a better relationship with Zora.

The slow-moving Bardell River is a metaphor for locals. It “welcome[s] everyone equally,” urging them to “come home” (347).

Avery wakes on the morning of Letty’s funeral, a week after she died. Avery finds the quiet of the house off-putting. Avery regularly cries over small details. Sam gives Zora and Avery a box that Letty left with him, with the instructions that it not be opened until after her death. Inside are Letty’s small notebooks and an envelope for each Avery and Zora. In Avery’s letter, she admits to having always written back to Zora but that she never got the courage to send her messages. Instead, she contained them in her journals. She likens Avery to herself and Ray, expresses her love, and tells Avery to “live for [her]” (351).

Avery finds a box full of newspaper clippings about the Olivers; the last is from the night of Amelia’s murder. Below the articles is a gun. Zora enters and takes the box. Avery is left reeling over the possibility that Letty killed Amelia. They attend the funeral, where Carole and Zora embrace, seeming to reconcile. Simone and Avery have time to speak, where Simone reports that her older sister, Shayla, warned Carole that she would “lose” Simone if she continued being intolerant of Simone’s sexuality. They plan to visit Atlanta and Spelman over Christmas.

Both girls are surprised when Jade appears. She offers condolences and explains that she “did a lot of research” following their fight and has amended her “Faces of Bardell” monument project application to propose a memorial for Ray and Letty, rather than Amelia (358). The three girls apologize to one another and make tentative plans to go to the river together and talk.

Simone arrives in her winter formal gown; the dance is that evening, though neither Avery nor Simone plans to attend. Avery wears her suit and a bow tie that Simone has brought, which matches Simone’s dress. Both Zora and Carole insist on taking pictures. Jade meets them and attends the dance briefly while Simone and Avery take a walk. They apologize for the harsh way they spoke to one another and flirt. They kiss and Avery imagines how they would look as monuments.

Jade’s proposal fails and no statute of Ray and Letty is erected. Instead, four statues of white residents go up; the fifth commemorates “Gloria Mitchell, the first Black student to integrate the public high school” (370). Three white students pull down the Beckwith statue while Simone is at Spelman; Jade moves to New York for college, and Amelia’s mural falls into disrepair until Tallulah paints over it.

Subtler monuments remain, including the sand that was once Ray’s castle, and the place where Zora vows to never tell Letty’s secret: She killed Amelia Oliver because she thought it would “hurt more” than killing the Oliver men themselves.