Book 17: What are some other examples of reinventions and second chances in this novel?

To some degree and at some point in time, everyone in Three Pines is an example of seeking to at least redefine themselves or be given a second chance. In this story, some folks stand out more than others. Vincent Gilbert is the most striking for me as we learn the details of his participation in Cameron’s research and his guilt about that. Haniya Daoud doesn’t really come to Three Pines seeking to re-invent herself but I think she comes to see that she wants to be accepted in ways she did not realize. Clara is seeking a chance to have her art recognized again. Despite the potential gravity of his actions at the rally, Jean-Guy is given another chance. Across all of LPs books, this applies to all of them-Ruth, Myrna, Gabri and Olivier and the Gamaches. The Auberge is a metaphor for the whole town.

Three Pines is full of people who’ve had second chances and reinventions. Myrna, Olivier and Gabri, and Reine-Marie have reinvented their careers and lifestyles as they settled there (Reine-Marie, in this novel, is exercising her skills in her new job post-retirement). Clara is constantly in the process of reinventing herself as an artist (finally, a new, interesting painting!). Ruth had to reinvent herself and conform as a child to satisfy her mother. Vincent Gilbert reinvented his life and purpose after his earlier experiences. Haniya Daoud reinvented her life from victim to advocate. And Armand, Jean Guy, and Isabelle have all had to reinvent themselves in their personal lives and careers. Isabelle and Armand still have to make adjustments in their lives to overcome their head injuries, and both have made career adjustments to go with the flow (I loved Armand’s joke to Jean Guy about being fired so many times they were probably tired to changing the name on the door); and Jean Guy has had to reinvent himself in so many ways over the course of these stories — from callow youth to outstanding investigator, from a “trust no one” personality to one of outstanding loyalty and depth of feeling; from a man in a superficial marriage with no desire for children to one deeply, madly in love with his wife and children, determined to be the best husband and father that he can be. I also loved the line that said that Armand was no skeptic about resurrection, because, as he looked at JG and Isabelle, “he saw proof of resurrection every day.” They both had second chances, and they’ve been making the best of it.

It’s said earlier in the series, maybe several times, that Three Pines is a village that can only be found if you are lost. So many people have rediscovered themselves there. Susan, above, gave great examples.

LP writes in the afternotes, that this is a novel about tipping over into madness or delusion, but it is also about recovery and forgiveness, both of which are forms of second chances. Coming out of the pandemic (both in the novel and in real life) has brought about some positive changes and opportunities but also some very negative reverberations, which LP adeptly incorporates into her narrative. The twitching when someone coughs, the little frisson of fear that likely everyone felt when we first hugged or kissed someone.
Second chances are not always successful or good (as anyone who watches basketball knows…). I think that Abigail Robinson was provided a huge second chance by her father but she ended up going down the path of rational madness that ultimately led her to murder and attempted suicide.
Susan has provided some excellent examples of second chances and reinvention in the novel. I do believe that Jean-Guy struggles more than others with this — he disobeys an order for personal reasons as he struggles with his own heart-rending doubts about their decision to “keep” Idola and fears that he has violated and destroyed the trust between himself and Gamache. Gamache, on the other hand, realizes that he was in error to let JG participate in the assignment in the first place (although their confrontation leads to new and healing insights for JG — and possibly Armand, as well). At the end of the novel, in confrontation with Abigail pointing a rifle at him, he guts it out and doesn’t shoot her, but at a lot of personal cost (sometimes second chances can be painful, too).

Three Pines hasn’t been spared from the COVID pandemic. In her notes, Louise considered ignoring the COVID pandemic but she couldn’t. Instead she projected to the time after when life was struggling to return to normal in a world forever changed. With the vaccine newly developed, the public will have a second chance to get back to their lives even though the pandemic was a horrible, haunting memory of the refrigerated morgue trucks carrying away the dead.
In Book Club Discussion 2 of this book, Cheryl Jette Poulin wrote, “There was also a fear campaign during the pandemic about COVID vaccines being dangerous. That seemed ridiculous too, but many people died because they believed it.”
Reinventions emerge as the anti-vaccine movement is now a modern political force. Greater funds enable anti-vaccine groups to expand their public reach, sue federal agencies and organize like-minded activists at the state level, as well as expand their reach abroad. Shouted opinions can influence masses of people, who latch onto unscientific ideas that touch some buried anger or prejudice in them.
“They are four sentences we learn to say, and mean.” Gamache held up his hand as a fist and raised a finger with each point. “I don’t know. I need help. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”