Where the Forest Meets the Stars

“Kids are smarter than we think. They know how to survive the sh** that’s dealt them better than some welfare worker who never spent a day in one of those kids’ shoes.”

This quote comes from the first police officer Jo speaks to regarding Ursa. The officer’s unconcerned demeanor, combined with Ursa’s proclivity to run from police, influences Jo’s actions regarding Ursa for the rest of the story, effectively removing police involvement from Jo’s plan altogether. In addition, the quote describes Ursa’s unnatural intelligence and survival instinct, foreshadowing how Ursa defies social workers to be with Jo, whom Ursa has declared is best for her.

“Her face was thinner and her hair still wasn’t long enough to pull back, but she almost looked like herself again.

Almost. The hazel eyes in the mirror mocked her. But who was reflected there, the old Jo or the new almost Jo? […] Maybe this was how it would be from now on, two versions of herself living inside one body.”

This intimate moment in the bathroom shows that Jo is still recovering from her battle with cancer and the grief from her mother’s death. The duality she experiences as a result of her trauma parallels the duality within Ursa of the girl before the trauma and the alien after. In this way, Jo and Ursa are alike, mending the two pieces of themselves after the traumatic event. Later, the novel reveals that Ursa, too, experienced her mother’s death.

“She even said it herself. No one gets a mammogram at age twenty-four. If she hadn’t gotten sick and found out she carries the mutation, my cancer might not have been found until it was too late.”

Here, in Jo’s bittersweet acknowledgment of her mother’s cancer saving her life, the novel explores the theme Taking the Good with the Bad. Although Jo still mourns the loss of her mother, she understands that her mother’s diagnosis led to her own diagnosis, ultimately catching the cancer before it could kill her. Jo’s observation shows that she has accepted the negative part of a positive occurrence.

“More than a few of the male graduate students had been awkward around her since she’d returned, especially the ones who used to flirt with her. Her psychologist had warned her of such reactions from men, but the injury of it couldn’t be alleviated by any number of therapy sessions.”

This moment elaborates on Jo’s experiences with her male colleagues since her surgeries and treatment. The way their attitudes have changed toward her has made her uncomfortable with her body and uneasy with male attention. This explains why Jo grapples with her confidence when she begins having feelings for Gabe. In addition, it contributes to the theme The Process of Recovery by showing how Jo is still coming to terms with her post-cancer life.

“By the fourth day—dressed in decent clothing, well fed, and playing outdoors for long hours—Ursa didn’t look like a changeling anymore. The dark circles under her eyes disappeared, her skin turned a wholesome pink, and she’d gained a few pounds.”

After several days of stability, consistency, nourishment, and care, Ursa begins to seem much happier and healthier. Jo and Gabe’s nurturing has improved her well-being, which communicates the theme The Healing Power of Love. Without intervention from Jo and Gabe, Ursa would have continued to live in uncertainty in the forest, with inconsistent food and shelter.

“She tried to remember how she used to respond when a guy she was attracted to came on too strong or too fast. […] But Jo couldn’t find her, that self-possessed woman she used to be, and the discovery of her absence made her shudder like a fever had come over her.”

After Jo interprets Gabe’s interest in her for the first time, she panics, unable to find the confidence and charm she once had in the presence of men. These emotions come from Jo’s insecurity about how men see her and her body after having her breasts and ovaries removed. Jo hasn’t had the attention of men for so long that she struggles when facing a potential relationship with Gabe. This moment of realization about the absence of her old self helps set her on a path of recovery in which Gabe’s attention and care help heal her wounded confidence.

“‘It’s hard to explain,’ Ursa said. ‘When we find Earth people we like, good things all of a sudden start to happen for them. It’s how we reward them for being nice to us.’

‘But that means you made Nancy get in a car wreck,’ Tabby said.

‘I didn’t want that,’ Ursa said, ‘but sometimes bad things happen to make good things happen.’”

After Ursa declares that she’s the reason Jo and Tabby could secure their dream home, she claims that a special ability—her quarks—make good things happen. However, the home wouldn’t have come up for rent had the homeowner’s former partner not been in a serious car accident. Ursa justifies this by explaining that sometimes good things must come from bad things. This moment contributes to the theme Taking the Good with the Bad.

“Maybe she did it because she told Tanner she was happy with what she looked like. Or because her mother had said, Live passionately for both of us. Maybe she took off the shirts because she wanted to show Gabe she knew something about how to ‘recover and move on.’”

This quote describes Jo’s thought process when she bares her chest to swim. She has felt self-conscious about her post-cancer body, so her decision to remove her shirts, showing her breastless chest to Gabe, is a big step forward in recovering her self-esteem. She removes her shirts for several reasons. One is to assert her comfort with her body to herself after having declared it to Tanner. In addition, Jo is motivated by her mother’s death, feeling the need to live life to the fullest after her mother’s passing gave her a new lease on life. The third motivation is Gabe. His presence has helped Jo become less critical of her body and take more chances in forming relationships with men again. Jo’s decision in this moment contributes to themes of healing in the presence of others and recovery as an ongoing process.

“A few weeks back, she’d never have believed the enigmatic Egg Man would be part of her daily life. Something that improbable almost had to be caused by an alien’s intervention. She smiled, remembering how Ursa had snuggled up to Gabe that morning, fully trusting in his gentle nature.”

As Jo thinks about how things have changed for her since Ursa’s arrival, she considers that Ursa may really be an alien with powers because of how unlikely Jo and Gabe’s relationship is. Jo thinks fondly of their small, unorthodox family, feeling attracted to Gabe because of his gentle way with Ursa. This quote emphasizes the bond Jo has formed with them both.

“We shared everything and loved each other like we never had when death was some distant thing. In the end, part of me died with her. I’m not recovered from it even now, but I made the conscious choice to enter the darkness with her. Everyone I know who’s lost someone they love has voiced regrets—they wish they’d done this or that or loved them more. I have no regrets. None.”

Here, Jo describes how she reacted when she knew her mother was going to die. She tells this story to Gabe to communicate why she grew so close to Ursa despite the likelihood of their being separated and getting hurt because of how much they care for each other. This passage helps explain why Jo loves the way she does and provides insight into her view on life after her mother’s death and her own battle with cancer. In addition, Jo explains here how she’s still recovering from the pain of the experience but wouldn’t change a thing, which contributes to the themes The Process of Recovery and Taking the Good with the Bad.

“Sometimes Jo was overwhelmed when she tried to imagine what events could make a child stop wanting to be human. And this was one of those times. Ursa, fortunately, couldn’t see her tears in the darkness.”

After another failed attempt to get Ursa to talk about her past, Jo worries about what kind of traumatic event could have led to Ursa’s current mental state. Jo spends a lot of time contemplating Ursa’s past and grappling with the story Ursa tells about her identity and her purpose on earth. Jo goes back and forth between thinking Ursa has experienced life-shattering trauma and believing Ursa is an alien with magic abilities. In this a sober moment, Jo wonders how the two possibilities could be related.

“Remember that feeling you described—the ‘horrific crush of humanity’ on your soul—maybe that’s another way of saying you’re afraid people will hurt you if you let them get close.”

When Jo and Gabe finally talk about the budding relationship between them, Jo realizes that Gabe has never been close with someone before. She diagnosis his social anxiety as a way to keep himself distanced from others and avoid the possibility of letting someone get close enough to hurt him. This description accurately reflects how Gabe pushes Jo away and pulls her back in, showing that he's working through his issues in his effort to form a relationship with her.

“I have his face. That’s why I grew the beard, so I wouldn’t have to see him in the f***ing mirror every day. I haven’t seen my face since I could grow a full beard—since I was sixteen.”

When Gabe reveals that he knows he’s the product of his mother’s affair, he explains why he keeps his beard full. He experiences residual trauma from the night he witnessed his mother and George Kinney in the graveyard. This moment establishes Gabe’s beard as a symbol of the resentment he harbors for his mother and George.

“I took a dead girl’s body, remember? […] I felt bad about taking it. I knew people on this planet are supposed to be buried, so I did that. I drew her and then I buried her and put one of those cross things over her like you see in cemeteries.”

When Jo and Gabe confront Ursa about her drawing of a grave, she doesn’t miss a beat when explaining that it was meant as a gesture of mourning for the girl whose body she took. Although Jo and Gabe suspect the drawing is of someone close to Ursa, they can’t deny the infallible nature of Ursa’s alien story, which makes it difficult for them to continue to think she’s lying.

“Jo wanted to live as she did, in each sweet moment. But every second she spent with Ursa was overshadowed by uncertainty of her future. And now Gabe was part of that onrushing fate, summer already on the wane.”

Although things have been wonderful for Jo, Gabe, and Ursa, Jo can’t help but worry about what will happen when summer ends and she moves back to the city. The story revisits the concept of fate through many means, including Jo’s bird nests, Gabe and Ursa’s interest in Shakespeare, and Ursa’s quarks. Jo knows that her time with Ursa must end, and she can’t help but worry how she, Gabe, and Ursa will meet the fate toward which they’re quickly heading.

“He held her face in his hands. ‘I want you exactly the way you are. Do you understand?’

She let him raise the camisole over her head.

‘There’s nothing wanting,’ he said. ‘You’re the most whole person I’ve ever known.’ He tenderly placed his hands, warm and rough, on the scars on her chest.”

This significant moment for Gabe and Jo is the first time she allows Gabe to touch her chest. Although she’s concerned about how Gabe sees her, Gabe reassures her, showing the depth of his love and appreciation for her exactly as she is. This quote shows how Gabe’s company helps restore Jo’s confidence and recover from her lasting sexual concerns regarding her post-cancer body.

“As the first week of July passed, Jo fully entered the fantasy. She gave in to Ursa’s vortex, the timeless whirl of stars Gabe had named the Infinite Nest. Nothing could touch the three of them in that boundless spin of love. Not their pasts. Not their futures. Jo stopped checking the missing children’s websites, and she suspected Gabe did as well.”

This narration details how Jo has let herself be consumed by the perfect fantasy that she, Ursa, and Gabe currently reside in. This quote uses both space and bird imagery to show how Jo, Gabe, and Ursa’s worlds have collided into a perfect union that is only sustainable when they ignore the past and the future. The three of them live in the moment, allowing themselves to enjoy the world they’ve created, free of cares, if only for a short time.

“The guy Ursa seemed to have been looking at got off the barstool and walked past their table, staring as he passed. Ursa watched him leave the restaurant.”

This quote helps ground the tone of the story, serving as a reminder of the possibility that Ursa has escaped from a dangerous situation. This moment foreshadows the shootout in the following chapter, which changes the fates of the main characters. Had this man not seen Ursa, the plot would have continued to spiral toward the end of the summer, with Jo and Gabe still trying to figure out what to do with Ursa.

“Ursa stared into her eyes. ‘Are you c-crying because you love me?’

‘Yes! I love you so much!’

Ursa smiled. ‘That’s it…the fifth miracle. That’s what I want…wanted m-most, and I m-made it happen.’”

As Ursa lies on the ground, bleeding out from a major gunshot wound, Jo confesses that she loves Ursa, which Ursa declares her fifth miracle. Ursa foretold that she would leave Earth once she witnessed five miracles, so this declaration is packed with emotional intensity, leaving her fate in question as she lapses into unconsciousness.

“Don’t you get it? I do everything Ursa used to do. Her brain is my brain.”

After Lenora briefs Jo on Ursa’s history, Jo informs Ursa that she knows she made up her alien name and the name of her planet from backward versions of regular words, which is something Lenora described as a talent of the highly intelligent Ursa. Ursa, as usual, is quick with her explanation, as though she already knew how she was going to respond to the confrontation. This quote shows not only the duality that exists within Ursa the alien and the original Ursa’s brain but also the disconnect between the current alien Ursa and the past human Ursa, suggesting that the traumatic event of her mother’s murder may have split her fragile psyche.

“Do you understand everything I said? No matter what happens, never doubt that I love you and I tried to keep us together. Beyond this, I have no control over what happens.”

When Jo realizes she has an audience of people who will decide Ursa’s fate, she makes an impassioned speech about her intention to adopt Ursa and her qualifications as a foster parent. She chooses to do this in front of Ursa because she wants Ursa to know she did everything she could. Jo treats Ursa with the maturity she knows Ursa can handle, which shows how Jo and Gabe are the only people who understand Ursa, making Jo the best choice for a foster parent. Jo doesn’t want to give the police and the social workers any opportunity to lie to Ursa about Jo’s intentions or love for Ursa.

“He said now that he was in love with you, he understood everything they’d done. He said he would rather have died the night the guy pointed the gun at you than watch you die. He said love like that can’t be stopped by anything, and he was happy he was born of that kind of passion.”

In this quote, Lacey explains how Gabe had a change of heart about his mother and George’s relationship. Through the love that Gabe has felt in his relationship with Jo, he has come to not only accept but understand the way Katherine and George felt about each other. It’s the final closure for Gabe because it relates to his family history, communicating the theme The Healing Power of Love.

“Thunder growled. Rain clawed at the window. Jo held Ursa in her safe nest, all the while fate sat watching.”

After Ursa’s final escape attempt, making good on her promises to run if she’s placed with anyone other than Jo, Jo realizes that the most important thing for Ursa is to feel safe and loved. Although Jo has been reluctant to let Ursa sleep in her bed, she disregards her concerns, even with Lenora watching, and embraces Ursa with the love she and Ursa both need. The narrative revisits the concept of fate, this time referring to the watchful eyes of Lenora, who is the sole decider in what happens to Ursa after this night. In addition, fate refers to the success of the bird nests that Jo studies, conveying multiple meanings when Jo refers to the bed as their safe nest.