We get to see Joanie meet Mother Hildegarde in The Space Between Section 17. What many wouldn’t realize is that this is the section that starts a much bigger part of the story.
One thing I love about this chapter is seeing Bouton. No, it’s not the same Bouton as in Dragonfly in Amber, but we know that Mother Hildegarde calls all her dogs the same name. It makes sense I guess, but it’s good to know that there is a dog still at the Hopital des Agnes.
Breaking down The Space Between Section 17
The section starts with Joan passing Mother Hildegarde the letter from Claire, and she shares that Claire is her father’s wife. This is because she doesn’t know the French for stepmother, which leads to some confusion. Mother Hildegarde believes that Claire is Joan’s mother, and she’s excited to hear this. Joan is too nervous, full of wine, and doesn’t have enough French to be able to clarify.
After this, Joan joins the rest of the new recruits to tour Hopital des Agnes, and I adore that we are back here. She meets Bouton, and she gets the first sets of smells as she learns that this is where she will do most of her work. The excitement helps her forget about some of her nerves, but she does feel some homesickness at the scents around her. They make her think of the cow barns back home.
The other girls with her cry due to homesickness, so Joan keeps it all together. She is older than them, and she promised God that she would be brave. I just hope that she is able to open herself up emotionally at some point, because she needs to. She needs to find an older nun who understands this feeling and has empathy.
The section ends with Joan pulling out her rosary and saying her prayers. Jamie taught her Latin to make sure she could do this. We know that Jamie wasn’t around Laoghaire much, but we get a good look at the impression he made on Joan at such a young age.
Could this chapter be used in a TV adaptation?
If this book is adapted, I would need this section to be used. It’s so important for Joan’s story, as she takes in the world that she is going to live in. We also get to see her meet Mother Hildegarde.
The confusion over who Claire is to Joan is also important for a later part of the story, so that would need to be included. There are just so many pieces of the story in this section, and I’d hate for any of it to be skipped over.
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