Spells for Forgetting

This section opens with the hinge between the second and third acts: Emery and August finally come together, shedding their defenses and making love for the first time since August’s return. This pivotal moment marks a turning point in their relationship, symbolizing not only physical intimacy but also emotional reconciliation. They silently agree to set aside their mistakes and mistrusts and focus on the present moment. Their reunion serves as a resolution to their emotional estrangement and as a catalyst for the events that follow. The narrative then moves into the past and shows the final confrontation between Emery and Lily. Until this point, Lily’s true nature had only been hinted at; here, the narrative reveals the full extent of her selfish insecurities and obsessive love, highlighting The Power of Love and Obsession. The clear implication in this exchange is that Lily, a well-meaning yet shallow and emotionally driven teenager, is coming apart. In doing so, she will drag the entire island down with her. This confrontation serves as the tragic turning point that sets the island on its fateful course, further emphasizing how personal failings can ripple out into communal consequences.

In the present day, Leoda’s point-of-view chapters hint at some of the hidden secrets that have infected the town, as well as the social class structures at play. Leoda’s perspective also highlights the power dynamics at the heart of the island’s community, showing how deeply entrenched hierarchies influence every aspect of life on Saoirse Island and highlighting Community as a Source of Pressure and Support. The story escalates sharply when August is kidnapped and held at gunpoint by Jake, one of the more morally gray characters whose relationship with August is both multifaceted and fractured. This moment underscores the novel’s tension, revealing the lengths to which people will go to protect or destroy the island’s fragile balance. The story once again dives into Leoda’s point of view, and her memories reveal the true extent of the malevolence on the island, showing how the past continues to haunt its inhabitants. Leoda reflects that she “underst[ands] a thing or two about order on the island” (326), and she uses this predetermined order to attain her goals. Even without magic, she manages to manipulate the council members through her role as matriarch. Her manipulation of the island’s power structures showcases her cunning and willingness to exploit tradition and hierarchy for her own gain.

The novel’s climax comes when Emery and Noah come to August’s rescue. Their rescue effort highlights the complex interplay of loyalty, betrayal, and redemption, as even the most fractured relationships are tested by the island’s looming crises. While Jake makes his stance on the side of the story’s villains, he does exhibit humanity. Leoda, by contrast, has become completely engulfed by her obsession and is no longer afraid to die—making her the most dangerous type of antagonist. Leoda’s rage completes her arc as the novel’s tragic villain, consumed by her own vendetta and willing to sacrifice everything for her version of justice. Emery manages to secure their freedom, but only by removing herself and August from the situation entirely. This resolution underscores the theme of the negative effects of The Influence of Ancestral Heritage, as the protagonists must sever their ties to the island’s toxic influence to reclaim their lives.

These final chapters also explore the influence of Saoirse Island in a new way. The island, which has loomed large over the narrative as a setting, now steps forward as an active character in its own right. The setting has always been a strong thematic force, imbuing the story with its own unique atmosphere and personified as a near-religious figure. However, this is the first time that Saoirse Island has been given its own voice. The decision to give the island a narrative voice further solidifies its role as a supernatural force, reflecting the novel’s blending of myth and reality.

This chapter acts like a microcosm of the novel. Like the broader novel’s chapters, the scenes in this chapter are cued by times—a device not found anywhere else in the novel. Moreover, it’s the only chapter to be told predominantly in an omniscient third-person point of view. This stylistic shift emphasizes the island’s omnipresence, giving it a godlike quality and reinforcing its dominion over the characters’ fates. The implication is that the island knows everything that happens in its domain, including the inner thoughts and feelings of its people. It’s not until the final paragraphs that the island’s first-person voice makes itself known. This revelation of the island’s voice in the closing lines suggests that it has been quietly orchestrating events all along, further elevating its mystical power. Later, in the novel’s denouement, the island’s influence is felt through Emery and August’s children. The subtle continuation of the island’s magic through their descendants hints at the cyclical nature of life and legacy, ensuring that the island’s presence will never truly fade and highlighting the influence of ancestral heritage. This positions the spirit of the land as a conscious elemental force and illustrates the way that Emery and her bloodline will be connected to it forever.