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Study Guide

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Chapter 3

By Ransom Riggs

Chapter 3

  • Jacob and dad are on a ferry to Cairnholm Island. Dad's checking out the local birds; Jacob is trying not to barf.
  • The ferry captain tells them that they're sailing over a nautical graveyard, the resting place of many ships sunk by U-boats.
  • After the ferry docks, Jacob and his dad look for the bed and breakfast where they have a room.
  • The man at the museum tells them it's called the Priest Hole and he gives them directions.
  • Before they leave, Jacob asks the man where the old children's home is; according to the man, it's on the other side of the island, but it's not worth heading over there.
  • Dad and Jacob head over to the Priest Hole, which is near a statue called the Waiting Woman.
  • The Priest Hole isn't a bed and breakfast, though—it's more like a bar and bedroom.
  • The barkeep, Kev, leads them to their room, and lets them know that the town basically shuts down at 10:00PM. Power is expensive, and the generators go off at that time.
  • Jacob asks why the place is called the Priest Hole, and Kev tells him how Catholic priests sought refuge there when Queen Elizabeth was after them.
  • That night, Jacob falls asleep and doesn't have a single nightmare.
  • The next morning, Kev serves up breakfast. Fried toast. He says that there isn't a food "that couldn't be improved by frying" (3.43). Truth.
  • Jacob tells Dad he's going to find the house, but Dad insists that he find someone to go with him.
  • The fishmonger refers Jacob to a kid named Dylan, and they set off toward the other side of the island.
  • On the way, they bump into another teen, this one named Worm.
  • He and Dylan do a white boy rap, and then lead Jacob across the bog together.
  • They get to a small boarded-up house, and the boys tell Jacob to look inside.
  • It's a makeshift sheep stable, and it's full of sheep poop.
  • The boys laugh at their prank, then tell him where the real house is—but they won't go with him.
  • Jacob follows their directions and reaches the house.
  • It's not the "bright, happy place" (3.116) Grandpa acted like it was, and instead, it's almost totally destroyed and collapsing in on itself.
  • Jacob walks around the house and finds a doorway minus a door, and walks on in.
  • Some of the rooms are missing walls, many are overrun by plants, and there's mold everywhere, as well as "evil-looking stains" (3.122) in the kitchen.
  • Jacob feels "further than ever from the truth" (3.123).
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