LaRose

Josette and Snow plan a huge graduation celebration for Hollis, trying to plant grass in the dirt volleyball practice court, although they have lost their cultural tradition of farming. Josette goes to the Raviches’ house to ask for help from the green-thumbed Nola. Maggie is excited to see her. Josette inspects the impeccably ordered house. “This is where LaRose lives his other life, the thought” (350). Maggie, LaRose, and Josette eat ice cream, but Josette begins to feel anxious by the order of the house and they go outside, discussing how Maggie and LaRose pick 100 dandelions per day to help weed the garden. Josette imagines rolling up the Raviches’ lawn to borrow it. Josette tells them to come over later to help with the party. Hollis asks for one of the party invitations to keep as a memento for his next home, and Snow tells him to stay. Josette tries to act calm but ends up snorting, telling him to stay. “Then she looked straight at Hollis again and all her heart came into her face” (355).

Josette makes a medallion for Hollis at her grandmother’s place, but keeps messing up while Mrs. Peace sorts through her old letters, happy to have received a promise from the historical society to look for the first LaRose’s bones.