Marked by Fire Chapter 26 Summary

Thursday Afternoon
December 19, 1968

  • Mother Barker has died and it's the day of her funeral.
  • Don't go thinking Mother Barker slipped away quietly, though—she totally called her shot, identifying the month and year she'd die in, as well as the fact that she'd die the night before the first snow.
  • Sister Lightsey tells Abby that Mother Barker requested she sing "Deep River" at her funeral. With that, it looks like Abby's no-singing days are over.
  • Abby's nervous to sing and struggles to get herself to the front of the church, but once she starts, the music comes pouring out of her.
  • The whole town mourns the death of Mother Barker, taking solace in the fact that Abyssinia is here to fill her shoes.
  • The morning after the funeral, Abby sees snowbirds on the Barkers' roof. And you know we have something to say about this over in the "Symbols" section.