59 pages 1 hour read

Ambelin Kwaymullina, Ezekiel Kwaymullina

The Things She's Seen

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018

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Part 3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3: “Beth”

Part 3, Chapter 7 Summary: “The Truths”

Catching pauses her story, and Beth’s narration resumes. Beth is skeptical about the more fantastical elements of Catching’s story, but she feels that the girl’s account still has the ring of truth. Catching is now exhausted, so Michael plans to return on another day. He asks if Catching has family, but she tells him not to worry about her because she has “somebody” (52). As Michael and Beth leave, Beth senses that Catching is looking right at her.

A nurse tells Michael that Child Services has located the witness’s mother. The witness is a runaway from a rehab clinic, and her mother will come to retrieve her within the week. Beth angrily tells her father that the clinic cannot be taking proper care of Catching if they don’t even know that her mother is dead. Michael says that he does not believe that Catching’s mother is dead. In his opinion, Catching’s story reflects what she believes but is not objectively true. He explains that various elements of Catching’s story might be misinterpretations of reality due to Catching’s drug use and trauma over being forced into rehab.

Michael receives a call about the bank accounts of Cavanagh’s and Flint, the director and nurse of the children’s home.