The Beet Queen

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1986

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Access Full Guide

Before You Read

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-3

Part 2, Chapters 4-6

Part 2, Chapters 7-9

Part 3, Chapters 10-12

Part 4, Chapters 13-16

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Part 4, Chapters 13-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 13 Summary: “1972: Celestine James, Sita Tappe, Mary Adare”

The women are growing older, as Celestine admits, and she and Mary still antagonize each other in little ways with regularity. When Celestine has a dream that Sita is gravely ill, Mary, with her penchant for the occult, takes it as a sign. Sita’s husband, Louis, has since passed away, so they pack up to visit Sita and decide to stay once they arrive. Sita is clearly sick; she is fragile and thin, with hollows under her eyes. Mary also finds pills hidden in the flour container and worries that Sita might accidentally harm herself. She throws the pills away. When Sita discovers this, she digs through the garbage to rescue as many pills as she can find. Looking around Sita’s house, Celestine muses about the staying power of things. It seems wrong somehow that people’s things remain after they die. Meanwhile, their dog, Little Dickie, is sequestered outside; Sita will not allow him in the house. They hear him digging in Sita’s garden one night, followed by Sita’s angry shouts, and Mary throws a brick out of the window to frighten the dog away. It strikes Sita in the head, though not fatally. Celestine cares for her throughout the night, remembering the days when they were best friends as children.

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Related Titles

By Louise Erdrich

Plot Summary

Fight of the Century: Writers Reflect on 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases

Michael Chabon, ed., Ayelet Waldman, ed., Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, Meg Wolitzer, Louise Erdrich, Héctor Tobar, Neil Gaiman, Jacqueline Woodson, Rabih Alameddine, Ayelet Waldman, Brenda J. Child, Michael Chabon, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Salman Rushdie, Jesmyn Ward, Aleksandar Hemon, George Saunders, Scott Turow, Timothy Egan, Steven Okazaki, Sergio de la Pava, Andrew Sean Greer, Geraldine Brooks, Anthony Doerr, Brit Bennett, Yaa Gyasi, Moriel Rothman-Zecher, William Finnegan, Marlon James, Morgan Parker, Jennifer Egan, David Cole, Lauren Groff, Ann Patchett, David Handler, C.J. Anders, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Lethem, Michael Cunningham, Elizabeth Strout, Li Yiyun

Study Guide