Chapter 5 — Teaching Companion

What it asks It asks the student to read Gram’s silence at the screen door. Lily is slipping off in the rowboat when Gram calls about the table and then, “And what about the piano?” Lily answers “This morning,” though “she’d done the C scale twice, two minutes, and that was that.” A moment before, “Gram wasn’t fooled” by the singing, and now she is “still standing there, waiting for her to turn around and come back.” Lily raises the oars, “but Gram didn’t say anything,” and the screen door closes. Only at the end does the reader learn “Gram knows.” The question keeps Lily’s small fib in view, in the same chapter where she will feel a secret was kept from her. It does not claim Gram kept the news to hurt Lily; the chapter gives no reason beyond her unfinished “I thought you were going to wait until after—”.

One reading

A scolding about the piano. Gram knows Lily too well to believe her. She saw through the singing, and two minutes of scales is not practice. She waits for Lily to turn around, then lets it go, maybe because Poppy is coming.

• Gram wasn’t fooled.
• Gram was still standing there, waiting for her to turn around and come back.

Another reading

The news about Poppy. Gram already knows he is going away, and Lily is rowing off to meet him. A fuss about the piano can wait. What Gram is carrying is much bigger, and Poppy is the one who is meant to tell it.

• “You could set the table, Lily,” she called, “get everything ready before your father comes.”
• “You told her? I thought you were going to wait until after—”

Listen for

• Uses Lily’s answer, “This morning,” and what she really did at the piano.
• Notices that Gram waits at the door and says nothing.
• Brings in what the end of the chapter shows: “Gram knows.”
• Says what Gram holds back and why, or how she could be holding back both.

If stuck

• What does Lily tell Gram about the piano, and what did she really do?
• What does Gram do after Lily answers?
• What does Gram already know that Lily does not?

A strong answer A strong response might say Gram is holding back a scolding: she “wasn’t fooled” a moment earlier, and two minutes of the C scale is not practice, so her waiting at the door says she knows. Another might say she is holding back the news: Gram knows Poppy is leaving, she wants everything ready “before your father comes,” and the piano no longer seems worth a word. A thoughtful student may say both. Look for the fib and the end of the chapter used together, and for no claim that Gram meant to hurt Lily.

What it asks It asks the student to slow down at the moment before the news lands. The row has been the happiest hour of Lily’s week: she touches the lines around Poppy’s eyes, keeps quiet about Gram’s dinner, and plans the Mary L., the movie and Evangeline. Then Poppy says “I have to tell you . . .” and his face is “suddenly serious.” Lily tells him about the Dillons and Detroit “quickly,” down to “Top secret, Margaret says.” Poppy grins, and “Lily swallowed, watching him smile.” When he says “I have to go too,” she “didn’t look at him” and asks, “To a factory like the Dillons? When would we leave?” The chapter never says what Lily suspects. This question keeps the quiet first half of the row from being rushed past, since it is what makes the news land so hard.

One reading

She can feel something coming. The moment his face changes, she talks fast. Then she swallows, and she will not look at him. She is holding the news off for as long as she can.

• “The Dillons left for Detroit,” she said quickly.
• Lily swallowed, watching him smile.

Another reading

Not the army. The Dillons are just news she has been saving, and it pours out. When Poppy says he has to go too, her first guess is a factory, and she asks when “we” would leave. She still thinks they will go together, and the army takes her breath away.

• “To a factory like the Dillons? When would we leave?”
• “The army needs engineers,” Poppy said.

Listen for

• Uses the change in Poppy’s face and the word “quickly.”
• Notices that Lily swallows and will not look at him.
• Uses her first guess, a factory, and “When would we leave?”
• Says how much she has guessed and gives a reason from the boat.

If stuck

• What is Lily planning for the weekend as she rows?
• What does she do the moment Poppy’s face turns serious?
• When he says he has to go, where does she think he is going?

A strong answer A strong response might say Lily feels bad news coming: she speaks “quickly” the moment his face turns serious, she swallows, and she will not look at him. Another might say she has not guessed the army at all: her first thought is a factory “like the Dillons,” and she asks when “we” would leave, so the word “army” hits her hard. A thoughtful student may say she feels something coming but not how bad it is. Look for evidence from the boat before and after “I have to go too.”

What it asks It asks the student to hear Poppy as a father explaining himself to his daughter, not as a history lesson, through one small sound. After “The army needs engineers,” Lily asks, “Who’s going to take care of me?” and says “Please.” Poppy puts his hand over hers and gives his first reason: “People are being killed just for disagreeing with the Nazis, or being Jewish.” Lily answers, “I’m sick of the war.” He says it will be over someday, and she says, “It’ll take forever.” Then “Poppy sighed,” and he names “families separated, villages ruined, cathedrals bombed,” before he turns to the builders who will “help put Europe back together again.” The sigh sits between Lily pushing back and Poppy’s hardest words about the war. The chapter does not say what he feels, where he will be sent or whether he will be safe.

One reading

He is tired of trying. Each reason he gives, Lily pushes away. She is sick of the war, and she says it will take forever. He cannot make her see why he has to go, and he wants her to see it.

• “I’m sick of the war,” she said.
• She shook her head. “It’ll take forever.”

Another reading

He is sad about leaving too. The war he talks about pulls families apart, and now it is pulling his own apart. He loves this place and he loves Lily. He is going anyway, and that is heavy for him.

• There’s been nothing but destruction in this war, families separated, villages ruined, cathedrals bombed . . .
• “This is my favorite place,” he said.

Listen for

• Uses what Lily says just before the sigh: “It’ll take forever.”
• Uses what Poppy says right after it, about what the war has wrecked.
• Hears a father talking to his daughter, not a lesson about the war.
• Says what the sigh is about and gives a reason, without saying where Poppy will go or whether he will be safe.

If stuck

• What does Lily say each time Poppy gives a reason?
• What does Poppy talk about right after he sighs?
• Is leaving easy for Poppy? What in the boat makes you think so?

A strong answer A strong response might say Poppy is tired of trying: Lily answers “I’m sick of the war” and “It’ll take forever,” and he cannot make her see why he must go. Another might say the sigh is sadness about his own leaving: he names “families separated” just as he is about to leave his own, in the place he calls “my favorite place.” A thoughtful student may hear both, and may notice that he moves on to the builders who will “help put Europe back together again,” as if he needs a hopeful reason too. Look for Lily’s words just before the sigh and Poppy’s just after, and for the student hearing a father, not a history book.

What it asks It asks about the moment just before the turn. Gram is calling across the water, “Jerry, Lily, hurry.” Poppy says, “I love you, Lily,” and “I love you more than Rockaway. More than anything,” the same Rockaway he called “my favorite place” and “home.” Lily does not say it back. She edges the boat toward the dock, sees Gram watching with her hand over her eyes, and asks, “What will Gram say?” She is sure: “She won’t like it. She’ll hate it. I know she will.” The next words are Poppy’s “Gram knows.” The question asks why Lily meets his love with Gram; it leaves what “Gram knows” does to her for the last written question.

One reading

She wants help to stop him. Loving her more than anything does not keep Poppy home, so his words fix nothing. Lily is sure Gram will hate the news. Maybe Gram can change his mind when Lily could not.

• She opened her mouth, trying to think of something to say, something that would change his mind.
• “What will Gram say?” Lily asked.

Another reading

She holds on to the one thing she is still sure of. Nothing else tonight is certain: where he will go, or whether she will even know. But she is sure about Gram, “I know she will.” Gram is the person she counts on to feel what she feels.

• “It could be anywhere. England, maybe, or Germany.”
• “She won’t like it. She’ll hate it. I know she will.”

Listen for

• Uses Poppy’s “More than anything,” and notices that Lily does not say it back.
• Uses how sure Lily is about Gram: “I know she will.”
• Connects the question about Gram to what Lily has been trying to do all through Poppy’s reasons.
• Says why Lily turns to Gram, and does not yet decide what “Gram knows” does to her.

If stuck

• What does Poppy say just before Lily asks about Gram?
• What does Lily say Gram will think of the news?
• What has Lily been trying to do while Poppy gives his reasons?

A strong answer A strong response might say Lily wants an ally: his love does not stop him leaving, she is still looking for “something that would change his mind,” and she is sure Gram will “hate it.” Another might say Gram is the one thing Lily is still sure of on a night when Poppy “could be anywhere,” so she reaches for her. A student may also notice that Lily can hardly speak, as with the “Please” she may not have said aloud. Look for the student to use how sure Lily is about Gram, since that is what “Gram knows” is about to break.

What it asks It asks the student to stand inside Lily at the moment the army news lands. Poppy says, “The army needs engineers,” and “For a moment she felt as if she couldn’t breathe.” Her first words are “Who’s going to take care of me?” Poppy answers, “Gram, of course,” and Lily “closed her mouth over the word, didn’t want to hear it,” picturing “She and Gram all alone in St. Albans this winter, the wind rattling around the house.” Later she says, “I won’t even know where you are,” and remembers that Mrs. Colgan “can’t even guess what country.” This is the war half of the last question, seen from inside Lily. It is easy to hear her first question as a spoiled one; the card asks the student to find the fear under it. The chapter does not say whether Poppy will be safe.

One reading

Being left behind with Gram. Her mind goes straight to a cold, quiet winter in St. Albans with only Gram. She cannot even bear to hear the word. She is afraid of the house without Poppy in it.

• She closed her mouth over the word, didn’t want to hear it.
• She and Gram all alone in St. Albans this winter, the wind rattling around the house.

Another reading

Losing Poppy himself. The news takes her breath away. Soon what she worries about is not knowing where he is at all, and she does not believe his letters will be able to tell her.

• For a moment she felt as if she couldn’t breathe.
• I won’t even know where you are.

Listen for

• Uses Lily’s first question in her own words.
• Uses what Lily pictures: Gram, St. Albans, the winter wind.
• Uses her worry about not knowing where he is, and Mrs. Colgan’s brother.
• Names one fear as the biggest and gives reasons, without treating Lily as simply spoiled.

If stuck

• What does Lily feel right after Poppy says the army needs engineers?
• When Poppy says Gram will take care of her, what does Lily picture?
• What does Lily know about Mrs. Colgan’s brother?

A strong answer A strong response might argue Lily is most afraid of being left behind: when Poppy says “Gram,” she “closed her mouth over the word,” and she pictures the two of them “all alone in St. Albans this winter.” Another might argue she is most afraid of losing Poppy himself: she “couldn’t breathe,” and she says, “I won’t even know where you are,” because the censors leave Mrs. Colgan unable to “guess what country.” The best answers choose one, give two reasons from the chapter, and say why the other fear matters less right then.

What it asks It asks the student to read Lily’s two words to Gram, and through them the secret half of the last question. Gram stands at the edge of the ramp, “smiling a little, looking anxious at the same time.” Her first words are to Poppy, about Lily, as if Lily were not there: “You told her? I thought you were going to wait until after—” Lily says “Mind your business,” and says it again, so fast “they ran together,” and runs. In the boat she said, “You told Gram first. You knew about it. Both of you keeping a secret . . . not telling me . . .” That same afternoon Lily kept something from Gram herself, saying she practiced “This morning” after two minutes of scales. Gram’s unfinished sentence suggests a plan for when Lily would be told; the chapter never finishes it, never says Gram meant to hurt her, and names Lily’s hate only in the heat of the moment.

One reading

Stay out of it. This is between Lily and her father, and Gram was let in first. Gram even talks about Lily as if she were not standing there. Now Lily shuts Gram out, the way she was shut out.

• “You told her? I thought you were going to wait until after—”
• “You told Gram first. You knew about it. Both of you keeping a secret . . . not telling me . . .”

Another reading

Nothing exact. She is too hurt to choose her words. They pour out so fast they run together, and she does not care about anything. Gram just happens to be the one who speaks.

• The words came out of her mouth so fast, they ran together.
• She didn’t care, didn’t care about one thing.

Listen for

• Uses Gram’s words at the ramp, “You told her?”, and what they show she already knew.
• Uses how Lily’s words come out: twice, so fast they run together.
• Brings in Gram’s face on the ramp, or Lily’s fib about the piano, when weighing whether the words are fair.
• Says what Lily means and why, without finishing Gram’s sentence or claiming Lily truly hates her.

If stuck

• What is Gram doing when Lily comes up from the boat?
• Who is Gram talking to when she says “You told her?”
• Is the news Gram’s business? Why might Lily say it is not?

A strong answer A strong response might say Lily is telling Gram to stay out of it: Gram’s “You told her? I thought you were going to wait until after—” shows she knew before Lily did, so Lily pushes her out, the way she felt pushed out by “Both of you keeping a secret.” Another might say the words mean nothing exact: they come “so fast, they ran together,” and Lily “didn’t care about one thing.” The best answers use how the words come out as well as what they say. A thoughtful student may also ask whether they are fair to a Gram who is “smiling a little, looking anxious,” from a girl who fibbed about the piano that afternoon. Look for no claim that Gram meant to hurt her.

What it asks It asks the whole question of the chapter. In the rowboat Lily and Poppy share the calm of his “favorite place.” When the news comes, she can hardly breathe, says “Please,” argues, and worries she “won’t even know” where he is, but she lets Poppy keep his hand over hers. Then two words, “Gram knows,” flip her sorrow into anger: “She shook his hand off her wrist,” “She hated him, hated Gram,” she bangs the boat “hard into the piling,” tells Gram “Mind your business,” and runs, past Albert, who is “watching her cry.” The chapter names her hate in the heat of the moment; it does not say she truly hates them. It does not say where Poppy will go or whether he will be safe, and it does not say what Albert thinks.

One reading

That Poppy is going to war. The news itself is what takes her breath away, and she begs and argues before Gram is ever mentioned. Losing Poppy, with no way to know where he is, is the real loss. The secret only gives her anger somewhere to land.

• “Please,” she said, but she didn’t even know if she had said it aloud.
• Mrs. Colgan doesn’t know where her brother is.

Another reading

That she was the last to find out. She hears the army news and stays close, asking questions, letting him hold her hand. It is “Gram knows” that makes her shake him off, burn with tears and say she hates them both. The secret is what turns sorrow into fury.

• She shook his hand off her wrist, feeling tears hot in her eyes, a terrible burning in her throat, feeling angry enough to burst.
• She hated him, hated Gram.

Listen for

• Takes a side and gives at least two reasons from the chapter.
• Notices what Lily does before “Gram knows” and what she does after it.
• Uses the quiet first half of the row, not only the end.
• Answers the other side, and does not claim Lily truly hates Poppy or Gram.

If stuck

• What does Lily do while Poppy tells her about the army?
• What are the two words that come right before she shakes off his hand?
• If Lily had been told first, would she still be crying on the road?

A strong answer A strong response takes a side, gives reasons and answers the other side. A student who says the war might point to “couldn’t breathe,” the “Please” she may not have said aloud, and her fear of not knowing where he is, like Mrs. Colgan’s brother. A student who says being told last might point to the order: she lets him hold her hand through all the army news, and only after “Gram knows” does she shake him off and feel “angry enough to burst.” The best answers notice that the two can feed each other: the secret hurts so much because the news is so big.