Tuck Everlasting Chapter 17 Summary

  • When Winnie wakes up, she's a little disoriented, until she realizes that she's at the Tucks'.
  • Miles comes to get her and asks her to go fishing with him. Together, the two set out in the same boat Winnie took with Tuck the night before. The pond is full of rich wildlife, each animal doing its thing. Winnie marvels at all of it.
  • Miles rows them out and starts up the fishing; he and Winnie chat the whole time, while Winnie mentally compares him with Jesse.
  • Miles really misses his kids, but he explains why he didn't give them the immortality water—he really thinks it was for the best.
  • While they fish, they get super deep, talking about how death is both a positive and negative thing. And Winnie knows that she won't breathe a word about the spring to anyone.
  • Their conversation continues as they talk about his desire to make a mark on the world. Sound familiar? That's because Winnie feels the same way. Guess that means that Miles is kind of like her.
  • Suddenly, Miles gets a big fish, which makes Winnie unexpectedly sad. She can't bear to watch the fish die, and she orders Miles to save its life.
  • Sweetly, Miles listens to her, and the fish lives to swim another day.
  • But then he hits her with a big lesson: he reminds Winnie that she can put off death temporarily, but not forever.