Study Guide

Big Little Lies Chapter 24

By Liane Moriarty

Chapter 24

It's now two months before Trivia Night, the chapter heading tells us.
It's also the day of the kindergarten sports carnival.
That means there's a barbecue, games, and sporting events that the parents and kids participate in.
And Madeline is gung-ho about the whole thing. Since Chloe's house color is green, she's armed with green temporary hair dye. Abigail thinks this will impact the ozone layer.
Abigail also wants to let her mom know that Bonnie will probably win all the races, because she's so young and fit.
Madeline keeps her cool about this one.
Too bad no one else in the house is keeping their cool.
The younger kids are screaming about lost shoes, and Ed sharply reprimands Abigail for being rude to her mother.
This is too much—Abigail says she has decided to move to her dad's house full-time.
Madeline is shocked by how much this hurts her.
At the carnival, she sees Nathan. He's polite, and she's even more polite.
She doesn't want to show how much Abigail's decision is hurting her.
Madeline meditates briefly on the indignity of aging, and then decides to participate in a relay race.