The story unfolds through the eyes of an adult John Wheelwright, reflecting on his younger years from his home in Toronto, Canada, in 1987. His narrative is interspersed with journal entries voicing his discontent with Ronald Reagan’s presidency. John’s tale delves into his childhood in Gravesend, New Hampshire, alongside his friend Owen Meany. Owen, an unusual, small-statured boy with striking skin and a distinctive voice, harbors a deep affection for John’s mother, to which she returns. John’s paternity remains a mystery, only known to be linked to the affluent Wheelwright family, whereas Owen’s parents run a beleaguered granite quarry. Owen believes a divine sign will reveal John’s father; however, Owen’s accidental role in John’s mother’s death plunges John into mourning, splitting his time between his grandmother’s home and his stepfather Dan Needham’s apartment at Gravesend Academy. Despite this tragedy, John and Owen’s friendship endures, and John begins to see Owen in a new light six months after his mother’s death. Owen shines in school productions and dreams of his own death, gradually coming to see himself as a tool of God, destined for a heroic end. He interprets the accidental death he caused as a divine act, meant to spare John’s mother from a worse fate. Together, they perfect a unique basketball shot, “The Shot,” which they believe has a greater purpose.
As a teenager at Gravesend Academy, Owen stands out academically and in journalism but is expelled for creating fake IDs to help students avoid the Vietnam draft. He completes his education at a public school and joins John at the University of New Hampshire, financing his studies through ROTC with hopes of serving in Vietnam, despite his physical limitations relegating him to administrative duties in Arizona. Determined to serve, Owen manipulates circumstances to aid John in dodging the draft, culminating in a self-sacrifice where he saves Vietnamese orphans from a grenade attack using “The Shot,” succumbing to his injuries.
Following Owen’s death, John learns of his own paternity through the minister who doubted Owen, revealing a complex web of guilt, confession, and redemption at Owen’s funeral. Additionally, Owen’s claim of miraculous birth is staunchly denied by John, despite Mr. Meany’s assertions. The narrative closes with John pondering the past and the enduring mystery surrounding Owen’s divine purpose and origins.
chapter 1
The narrator of the account, John Wheelwright, divulges that his faith in God is due to Owen Meany, a person who always stands out in his memories. John’s spiritual expedition has witnessed him transition from Congregationalism to Episcopalianism, and eventually to Anglicanism. He is not extremely devout but is a loyal church attendee and frequently peruses his prayer booklet. He accredits his faith to Owen Meany. John reminisces how he and his peers used to taunt Owen in Sunday school because of his slight stature and distinctive voice. Despite being harassed and blamed for things he didn’t commit, Owen never grumbled. John fondly recollects his tenacity and verve.
John grew up in Gravesend, New Hampshire, a town profoundly influenced by his aristocratic clan, the Wheelwrights. John’s grandmother, Harriet Wheelwright, was the town’s leading lady and a direct offspring of John Adams. John frequently senses that his spiritual uncertainty is somewhat due to his forebears’ tumultuous past. John was nurtured as a Wheelwright, despite it being his mother’s maiden surname and his father’s identity remaining undisclosed. His mother expired when John was eleven without ever divulging his father’s identity. Owen once foretold that John’s father’s identity would be unveiled to him by God. This prophecy marked the commencement of John’s faith in God. John expounds on Gravesend’s heritage of timber production and his grandmother’s distaste for the Meany family, who helmed a granite quarry. Owen, who wasn’t deaf despite the deafening quarry, introduced John to Wall’s History of Gravesend. John relates his mother’s mysterious pregnancy tale, her liaison with a man she encountered on a Boston-bound train, and her abrupt demise, which left an incurable gash in John’s life. John recollects his childhood episodes involving Owen, like Owen wandering off in John’s grandmother’s manor, and a moment when Owen feigned drowning in the quarry lake. John and Owen’s spiritual dialogues further intensify when both commence attending Episcopalian Sunday school. Owen’s robust spiritual convictions captivate John. John’s mother yearned for Owen to enroll in the distinguished academy owing to his scholarly brilliance. Nevertheless, Owen elected to attend the public school, deeming it more fitting for him. A calamitous misfortune transpires during a Little League match when John and Owen were eleven. Owen, who is generally not allowed to bat due to his slight strike zone, is given a chance to swing. The ball strikes John’s mother, instantaneously claiming her life. Amidst the ensuing turmoil, Owen vanishes, and John suspects he absconded with the ball.
chapter 2
John recollects his mother, Tabitha, and how she possessed a singular charm that people found enticing. She didn’t flatter openly, but he assumes she might have beguiled men during her habitual train journeys to Boston for her singing lessons. It was during these excursions that she encountered John’s father, and her future spouse, Dan Needham, who stimulated her to shift from the Congregationalist Church to the Episcopalian. In 1948, Tabby announces at supper that she had forged a connection with another man on her customary train commutes. This man, Dan Needham, a Harvard alumnus and drama instructor, is vying for a role at Gravesend Academy. Their initial meeting is awkward, but Dan intrigues John by bestowing upon him a mysterious paper bag, cautioning him not to open it unless it stirs. Overwhelmed by curiosity, John opens the bag and shrieks at the sight of a stuffed armadillo, a prop Dan had employed for a lecture at the academy. John fondly reminisces his visits to his aunt Martha and her husband Alfred Eastman in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire. His three cousins, Noah, Simon, and Hester, embrace a more rugged lifestyle in comparison to him, which both fascinates and intimidates him. Hester, the only girl and closest in age to him, alerts him to the perils of heedless skiing. John’s cousin Hester leaves an enduring impact on him. Despite her harsh upbringing, John is drawn to her and doesn’t mind forfeiting in games just to secure a chance to kiss her. Owen, John’s comrade, always feels envious when John departs to visit his relatives, particularly since he cannot take the armadillo with him. On a Thanksgiving, John introduces his relatives to Owen, who astonishes them with his unconventional appearance and voice. Following the disastrous incident of Owen’sAfter a tragic incident on the baseball field resulting in the demise of John’s mother, he awakens to discover Owen’s most cherished baseball cards delivered to his doorstep. Upon receiving guidance from Dan, John returns the cards and also presents Owen with the armadillo, symbolizing his continuous affection for him. Reflecting on Dan’s advice about a distinct life purpose, John begins to contemplate the concept of a predetermined destiny. Owen reciprocates by returning the armadillo to John after a couple of nights, albeit with its claws removed. Despite John’s anger, Dan clarifies that Owen is expressing a message – just like the armadillo, they have all experienced loss. John internally deliberates on Owen’s communication, concluding that Owen perceives himself as singled out by a higher power to fulfill a specific mission. John wraps up his tale in Toronto on January 30, 1987, contrasting the snowy urban landscape with his quaint New England hometown, Gravesend. He fondly recalls their senior years at Gravesend Academy in the ’60s, where he and Owen closely followed the Vietnam War. Owen, critical of the American involvement from the onset, is credited by John for aiding him in avoiding military service and providing more than he took, notwithstanding his inadvertent role in John’s mother’s passing.
chapter 3
John reminisces about his mother’s sewing prowess and her dressmaker’s dummy frequently adorned in fashionable garments. She would borrow attire from upscale Boston stores, replicate them, and return the originals. Despite John and Dan Needham’s enjoyment in dressing the dummy, they never managed to persuade her to wear the sole red dress in her wardrobe. It was only worn by her during a theatrical performance of Angel Street by the Gravesend Players where she portrayed a deranged wife, organized by Dan. During a stay at John’s residence, Owen awakens with a fever and claims to have glimpsed an angel near John’s mother’s bed. Although John dismisses it as a fever-induced apparition, Owen remains resolute in his belief. Following John’s mother’s demise caused by a baseball hit from Owen, he espouses the idea of predestination, theorizing that the angel he saw was the Angel of Death, diverted from its duty by him. Subsequently, Owen keeps vigil for the angel’s return that very night, sharing a bed with John’s mother. A misunderstanding with John’s grandmother, whom Owen mistakes for a phantom, leads Owen to assert for years that she emits a banshee-like howl, a harbinger of demise. This outlandish claim gains credibility when Dan Needham uncovers the true meaning of a banshee. John reflects on his grandmother’s role in The Constant Wife play directed by Dan. He contemplates Dan’s assimilation into their family and community while pondering the delayed marriage between him and his mother, seemingly unaffected by their religious discrepancies as Episcopalians and Congregationalists seek their allegiance. The nondenominational ceremony was officiated by Rev. Merrill and Rev. Wiggin at Gravesend Academy’s chapel, Hurd’s Church. A quip about Owen’s attire at the wedding soiree sparks a squabble involving Hester offering her undergarments to Owen for safekeeping during a bush pit stop, evading the restroom queue. As the newlyweds depart for their honeymoon amidst a hailstorm, Owen inadvertently takes Hester’s undergarments with him. John reveals the current plight of the baseball coach who directed Owen to make the fatal hit, now battling Alzheimer’s. He also recollects Harry Hoyt’s missed opportunity to prevent Owen’s turn at bat, ultimately perishing in Vietnam. John reflects on the disturbance caused by a baseball practice during his mother’s funeral, with Owen repeatedly seeking forgiveness. Post-interment, John is extended lodging options by his Aunt Martha, Mrs. Wheelwright, and Dan, opting to divide his time between Dan and his grandmother. A scene where Owen is found praying at his mother’s grave prompts John and Hester to relocate the dressmaker’s dummy from Dan’s abode to assuage his sorrow. Owen chooses to retain the dummy donning the red dress, which prompts John to recount his reflections on these events from 1987 in Toronto, unveiling his faith in angels, a belief that hasn’t particularly served him well. He wraps up by alluding to his own encounters with wrath and malice.
chapter 4
The festive season of 1953 turns somber following the loss of John’s mother. To divert themselves, young John and Owen venture into the unoccupied dorms of Gravesend Academy as Dan supervises the school’s rendition of A Christmas Carol. Both boys are slated to partake in the church’s Christmas play, with the determined Owen refusing to reprise his former role as the Announcing Angel, finding it embarrassing. The Reverend Wiggin and Barb devise an unconventional nativity play involving costumes and numerous infants as backups in case baby Jesus fusses. While continuing their explorations over the holidays, they chance upon adult content, leading to a dimmer perception of the room’s occupant. Encountering condoms, they engage in an unexpected and slightly rebellious experiment. During the casting for the Christmas play, Owen adamantly refuses the angelic role, resulting in a chubby lad named Harold Crosby mistakenly stepping in. However, Owen’s proposal to portray Jesus is endorsed. Owen persuades the group to remove the crib from the manger, fashioning his own bed in the hay. Mary Beth Baird, playing the Virgin Mary, showcases her fondness for baby Jesus by bowing to him, a gesture the rector decides to incorporate into the performance. In his 1987 recollection, John divulges his inclination for weekday church services to avoid families with disinterested children, criticizing his church clergy for racism and sloppy attire. He mentions skipping Christmas pageants post-1953, finding the prior year’s presentation sufficient. Dan’s rendition of A Christmas Carol in the same period falters due to amateur acting. John recounts the demise of Mr. Fish’s dog, Sagamore, struck by a diaper delivery truck, with Owen leading a poignant funeral service, reciting a Resurrection verse. John infrequently visits Owen’s abode in 1953, noting the damaged Nativity scene on the mantel. Owen’s parents are aghast upon learning their son will portray Jesus in the pageant. In a candid moment with his grandmother, John discloses Owen’s belief that his peculiar voice is a divine endowment, dismissed by Mrs. Wheelwright. While exploring Waterhouse Hall, John and Owen inadvertently witness an intimate episode involving the faculty couple, the Brinker-Smiths, leaving them startled and prompting Owen to declare the disorienting nature of intimacy. Owen steps up to portray the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come after the initial actor exits, delivering a commanding performance that silences the cast and earns him newfound respect from Mrs. Wheelwright, embodying both the roles of baby Jesus and the Ghost of the Future.
chapter 5
Owen’s portrayal of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is both lauded and chilling. Dan questions whether Owen’s grave demeanor clashes with the joyous finale of A Christmas Carol. Concerned about Owen’s cold, Dan hopes the audience will find a sniffling spirit less intimidating. On the day of the Christmas play, Owen and John join Mr. Fish, a non-church attendee fascinated by Owen’s performance.on the way to church. They come across a somber Rev. Merrill, Rev. Wiggin, and Barb. Owen insists on donning his “fortunate scarf” before being wrapped. Barb carries Owen to his spot, pressing him against her chest, and pecking him. When she backs away, John notices Owen’s excitement, thinking Barb purposely embarrassed him to impart a tough message. As the pageant begins, Owen keeps his cool. His stern stare at Barb scares her, causing her to drop Harold Crosby, the angel who forgets his lines. As Owen is revealed as Baby Jesus, the intense spotlight causes some kids in animal outfits to faint. Overwhelmed, Mary Beth Baird, portraying Virgin Mary, jumps onto Owen, who shoos her away. Seeing his parents in the audience, Owen angrily shouts, “WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE YOU’RE DOING HERE?” The Meanys depart, and Owen directs John and Mary Beth to escort him out. The children trail behind them off stage in an unplanned procession. Outside, John tucks Owen into his parents’ truck, and Owen cryptically remarks, “IT’S A MUCH-LUCKY THING I WORE MY FORTUNATE SCARF.” John remembers a heated conversation with Canon Mackie about his growing frustration with America’s nuclear policies. Canon Mackie suggests John’s anger originates from his failure to secure a position in the vestry elections, and that he’s dwelling in the past. John reflects on the Nativity of 1953, where Owen’s portrayal of the Christ Child has replaced the traditional Christmas story in his mind. He recalls the commotion that followed Owen’s exit, the shocked congregation, and the hanging Harold Crosby. Barb Wiggin declares Owen’s exile unless he speaks to her first, a request that John knows will result in Owen’s absence from church. Dan steps in, reminding Barb of her carelessness, and ensures Owen’s unrestricted return to the church. John mourns his first Christmas Eve without his mother, an evening spent watching the final show of A Christmas Carol. He discusses Owen’s severe reaction towards his parents during the pageant, and his vague allusion to an old offense from the Catholic Church. In the audience, John spots familiar faces from the baseball game where Owen accidentally killed his mother. He recalls her waving at someone and speculates it could have been his father. Owen’s captivating performance as the ghost concludes with him fainting at the sight of his own name on Scrooge’s tombstone. Returning home, they find Lydia, the maid, has passed away. Mrs. Wheelwright suggests Owen mistook a premonition of Lydia’s death as his own. John, grappling with unfamiliar feelings of desire towards Germaine, the young maid, reaches out to Owen. Owen supports John, agreeing to help him locate his father. However, Owen denies seeing a date on the headstone in the premonition, which John knows is a falsehood.
chapter 6
Following Lydia’s passing, John’s grandmother buys a television for their abode. She permits John and Owen to watch freely, prohibiting only the Late Show to maintain a proper bedtime. Mrs. Wheelwright becomes a consistent viewer and critic of the TV programs, making television appear dull without her commentary. The year 1954 is distinguished by Owen and Mrs. Wheelwright’s mutual admiration for Liberace’s show. John fails to comprehend this fascination and discusses it with Dan, who advises him to be less judgmental. Owen is set to enroll at Gravesend Academy due to a scholarship and Mrs. Wheelwright’s financial assistance. However, when John is directed to a public high school for a year prior to joining the academy, Owen elects to join him so they can stay together. During Thanksgiving 1954, Hester visits Gravesend and is equally critical of the television. Owen is terrified by a film about a nun and refers to nuns as “PENGUINS”. Before entering the academy in 1957, John and Owen spend evenings watching Gravesend Players productions and recalling those present at John’s mother’s fatal baseball game. Owen counsels John in his quest for his biological father, saying, “EVERY TIME YOU GET A BONER, TRY TO THINK IF YOU REMIND YOURSELF OF ANYONE YOU KNOW.” John regrets not seeing more of Hester during these years and yearns for more visits. However, Owen reminds John that Hester is their cousin and is better off out of his reach. In 1987, John mentions that Liberace, deeply cherished by Owen and Mrs. Wheelwright, has passed away, and it’s Palm Sunday. He recalls that Owen detested Palm Sunday and muses on how the holiday is celebrated at his current teaching position at the Bishop Strachan School. During the summer of 1958, John and Owen acquire their driving licenses. They spend time driving to beaches and observing girls. John notices Owen’s appeal to women and his physical strength from his father’s granite yard work. They commence their time at Gravesend Academy in the fall of 1958. Owen flourishes and garners the nickname “The Voice” for his distinctive essays in the student paper. Owen even invites Hester to the Senior Dance, arousing jealous sentiments in John. As time elapses, Owen develops an interest in basketball and practices a slam dunk move with John’s encouragement. Owen believes this move holds special significance in his life. In his 1987 writings, John criticizes the incumbent president, Ronald Reagan, and shares his struggle teaching Tess of the D’Urbervilles to a high school class. He attributes Owen for showing him how to truly appreciate a book. In the winter of ’59, Rev. Merrill starts teaching at the academy, igniting intellectual debates with Owen who always has the final say. A new headmaster, Randy White, is appointed at the academy, much to Owen’s chagrin who terms him an anti-Semitic racist. In 1960, the boys register for the draft and continue practicing their slam-dunk move, dubbed “THE SHOT”. Owen’s resistance to White’s authoritarian policies lands him in trouble. Owen staunchly supports Kennedy and is profoundly affected by his victory in the presidential election. Kennedy’s inaugural speech, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” becomes a guiding principle for Owen. Even in 1987, amid his ire towards the Reagan administration, John concurs with Owen’s admiration for Kennedy.
chapter 7
At nineteen, Owen reveals to John the significance behind the armadillo claws incident after John’s mother’s death, saying, “GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD’S INSTRUMENT.” This startles John. They debate over this while practicing “The Shot” in their school gym, but eventually pull it off in under four seconds. Owen celebrates this triumph with “IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE MORE FAITH.” There are disputes concerning their college choices. John plans to attend a state university, but Owen, who has the potential for a full scholarship at Harvard or Yale, wishes for them to stick together. Nevertheless, John doesn’t want Owen to relinquish a better opportunity for his sake. As the school’s top student, Owen has a full ride to the University of New Hampshire. He now serves as the editor of the school newspaper, leveraging his position to produce counterfeit IDs for his peers. As seniors, they can travel to Boston twice a week. Unlike their peers, they frequent a clothing store named Jerrold’s, matching the tag on John’s mother’s red dress. Owen is delving into John’s mother and perhaps his unknown father. They present a picture of Tabby Wheelwright to the store owner who identifies her as“The Woman in Crimson,” a former vocalist at a nearby lounge. Later, they pay a visit to her previous singing mentor, Graham McSwiney, to gather more details, but with little success. John’s storytelling is filled with disapprovals against America and the Reagan government, particularly the Iran-Contra scandal. He delves deep into politics, expressing his frustration towards the Vietnam War. He also reminisces about his New Year’s celebrations with Owen and Hester from 1962 to 1968, characterized by Hester’s yearly excessive drinking. John’s mother gifts Owen a journal for Christmas in 1961, which he fills with admiration for John F. Kennedy and prophetic entries about his own future like “I KNOW WHEN I’M GOING TO DIE.” Owen’s final year at school is troubled by conflicts with the school head, Randy White, and altercations with other classmates. He nearly faces expulsion due to an incident involving a classmate’s mother, Mitzy. He manages to stay in school but is placed on probation. Owen works as a server at the school cafeteria and one morning discovers his parking space taken by Dr. Dolder’s vehicle. Enraged, he moves the car to the school auditorium stage with the basketball team’s assistance. This prank results in the car’s damage and the headmaster, Mr. White, getting stuck inside. When Owen is implicated in a fake ID scandal, he is expelled. Owen reaches out to Mrs. Wheelwright to offer his apologies. He persuades John and Dan to attend the next school gathering. Upon arrival, they find a statue of Mary Magdalene, missing its head and arms, anchored to the stage. Dan rushes to locate Rev. Merrill, at whose residence they find a troubled Owen, who simply asks Rev. Merrill to offer a prayer for him at the meeting. The assembly attendees are stunned by the statue’s appearance. When Mr. White tries to interrupt the prayer for Owen, Rev. Merrill stands up to him. This results in Mr. White’s dismissal as headmaster. Owen doesn’t graduate from the academy but garners support from the public and secures admission to the University of New Hampshire, choosing it over Harvard and Yale. He opts to join the ROTC to fund his studies. John wishes he had been more aware of Owen’s recurring dream and premonitions about his death, as documented in his diary entries, and would have prayed harder for him.
chapter 8
During the summer of 1962, John and Owen find themselves engaged in their family enterprises, physically apart but close in thought. While John struggles with his romantic endeavors despite his friends’ support, Owen and Hester’s cohabitation brings a sense of unease to Aunt Martha. Owen’s thoughts increasingly dwell on his own mortality, while Hester’s frustration leads her down the path of antiwar activism.
Fast forward to 1987, John spends time with Katherine Keeling and her family, unable to shake his fixation on current events and his disdain for the political climate under President Reagan. Amidst adapting to life in Canada, he is amused and slightly vexed by being mislabeled as a “non-practicing homosexual” by Katherine’s husband, a label he chooses not to contest.
Back in 1962, despite the distance, John and Owen maintain their connection through letters. A workplace accident sends John into a rush to the hospital, coinciding with the news of Marilyn Monroe’s passing, leading to Owen’s poignant reflection on Monroe’s resemblance to the American spirit in his correspondence.
As the fall of 1962 rolls around, their academic journeys begin at the University of New Hampshire. Owen’s academic performance suffers due to his ROTC commitments, while John excels, setting them on divergent paths despite sharing the daily commute from home.
In the summer of 1963, John’s work at Mr. Meany’s quarry is overshadowed by the nation’s grief over Kennedy’s assassination, deeply affecting Mrs. Wheelwright. Owen, meanwhile, engages with the local Catholic community on a sculpture project, as Hester’s disillusionment with the status quo intensifies. Owen’s unwavering pursuit of a Vietnam deployment raises alarms for John, prompting a confidential discussion with Owen’s military advisor.
Following their junior year, Owen’s disappointment at not securing the top position in Basic Training, attributed to his stature, mirrors his apprehension about missing the chance to serve in Vietnam. His conviction about his fate in Vietnam is sealed by a prophetic dream.
After graduation, Owen’s assignment to administrative duties in Arizona appears to be a temporary diversion. Before his departure, a visit to Canada offers a moment of reflection. In Arizona, Owen’s role as a “Casualty Assistance Officer” parallels John’s anxieties about his own military draft, alleviated somewhat by Owen’s advice to await further developments.
In an unexpected twist, Owen’s drastic plan to save John from the draft by mutilating his trigger finger comes to fruition. Despite John’s apprehensions, he acquiesces to the plan, leaving Owen to contemplate the gravity of their actions, marked by a bloodied sacrifice envisioned as Owen’s final gift to John.
chapter 9
By the year 1987, Hester emerges as a prominent rock musician, adopting the stage name “Hester the Molester.” John, not a fan of her musical style, finds himself outnumbered by his students who adore it. Hester enjoys provoking John about his abstinent lifestyle, a choice John links to past traumas rather than disinterest in romantic encounters with women.
John perceives Hester’s abrasive demeanor as a reaction to the grief stemming from Owen’s demise. He firmly believes Owen’s spirit remains with him, evidenced by two spectral visits that leave a physical mark on John, turning his hair roots white.
The story then recounts the passing of John’s grandmother, who dies tranquilly in a nursing home. John also reflects on the summer of 1967, a time when Owen supported him in his academic endeavor on Thomas Hardy.
In a subsequent meeting with Dan, John is advised to leave the past behind and return to Gravesend, a suggestion John resists, unable to relinquish his memories of Owen. The narrative transitions to the onset of a new academic year, highlighting challenges posed by a new faculty member, Eleanor Pribst.
Before Owen’s death, Hester had resolved not to attend his funeral—a promise made amidst the tumultuous year of 1967, which also saw John feeling alienated during the March on the Pentagon due to his incapacity to enlist.
Following Owen’s death, John consults Mr. Meany regarding the funeral, where he learns of Owen’s claim of virgin birth, sparking controversy within their community. John’s discovery of Owen’s self-made tombstone, accurately dated, only adds to the mystique.
John’s conversation with Rev. Merrill unveils deeper family secrets, including the revelation that Merrill, present at the tragic accident that claimed his mother’s life, is his biological father. This discovery, coupled with Merrill’s confession of harboring a death wish for Tabby, shakes the foundations of their relationship.
At Owen’s funeral, an emotionally charged eulogy by Merrill, prompted by a misinterpretation of a staged scene by John, highlights the profound impact of Owen’s life and death. The funeral service, marked by a poignant moment where sunlight illuminates Owen’s military decorations, prompts reflections on Owen’s legacy.
John’s narrative advances to his resettlement in Canada and the tragic death of Mrs. Meany in a fire, followed by Mr. Meany’s financial ruin and his sentimental preservation of Owen’s memory through his military medal.
The circumstances surrounding Owen’s death are detailed, culminating in a heroic act at an airport in 1968, where Owen sacrifices his life to save Vietnamese orphans from a grenade attack, orchestrated by a vengeful Dick Jarvits.
In the wake of Owen’s death, John’s understanding of the miraculous elements of Owen’s life deepens, leading him to revere Owen’s predestined role as a savior. This acknowledgment allows John to grieve fully, holding onto a hope for divine reconnection with Owen.
