A Prayer for Owen Meany Summary
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Here you will find a A Prayer for Owen Meany summary (John Irving's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
Chapters A Prayer for Owen Meany Summary Overview
The narrative unfolds from the perspective of an adult named John Wheelwright, who is recollecting his past from his home in Toronto, Canada, in 1987. He frequently includes diary entries expressing his anger towards the Ronald Reagan administration. John's narrative centers around his childhood in Gravesend, New Hampshire, and his friend Owen Meany, a peculiar, miniature boy with glowing skin and a high-pitched voice. Owen has a profound affection for John's mother, who reciprocates his feelings. John is unaware of his father's identity, but knows he belongs to the affluent Wheelwright family, while Owen's parents run a struggling granite quarry. Owen assures John that divine intervention will reveal his father's identity, however, John's mother dies in an accident caused by Owen, leaving him heartbroken and splitting his time between his grandmother's mansion and his stepfather Dan Needham's apartment at Gravesend Academy. John and Owen maintain their friendship and, six months after John's mother's death, John starts noticing Owen's uniqueness. Owen lands roles in the Christmas pageant and a local play, where he performs exceptionally, causing a bit of a stir. On the night of the final performance, he has a vision of his own tombstone with his death date. Gradually, Owen starts believing he is a divine tool and that his death will be heroic. He believes God wanted him to kill John's mother as he interrupted the Angel of Death. They practice a basketball move, "The Shot," repeatedly, seeking to perfect it as quickly as possible. As teenagers, they join Gravesend Academy, where Owen shines academically and journalistically. However, he is expelled for creating fake IDs for students to avoid the Vietnam draft. He eventually graduates from a public school and reunites with John at the University of New Hampshire. Owen pays for his education through the ROTC program and anticipates a combat assignment in Vietnam, despite his friends' objections. However, due to his short stature, he is assigned administrative duties in Arizona. Owen seeks reassignment to Vietnam, while John pursues graduate school. Owen helps John avoid the Vietnam draft by amputating his finger. In 1968, Owen starts escorting the bodies of deceased soldiers home. During one such assignment, he and John are confronted by a teenager with a grenade. Owen sacrifices himself to save the Vietnamese war orphans by using "The Shot" to throw the grenade away, but dies from his injuries. John later learns that the reverend who doubted Owen's innocence is his father. The reverend confesses his guilt and prays for forgiveness during Owen's eulogy. He also learns from Mr. Meany that Owen was a miraculous birth, which he vehemently denies. The narrative concludes with John reminiscing about his past and the unresolved mystery of Owen's origin.
chapter 1
The story's narrator, John Wheelwright, reveals that his belief in God is due to Owen Meany, a person who always stands out in his memory. John's religious journey has seen him shift from Congregationalism to Episcopalianism, and finally to Anglicanism. He is not highly devout but is a faithful churchgoer and often reads his prayer book. He attributes his faith to Owen Meany. John recalls how he and his peers used to tease Owen in Sunday school because of his small stature and unique voice. Despite being bullied and blamed for things he didn't do, Owen never complained. John fondly remembers his resilience and spirit. John grew up in Gravesend, New Hampshire, a town deeply influenced by his aristocratic family, the Wheelwrights. John's grandmother, Harriet Wheelwright, was the town matriarch and a direct descendant of John Adams. John often feels that his religious uncertainty is partly due to his ancestors' unsettled history. John was raised as a Wheelwright, despite it being his mother's maiden name and his father's identity remaining unknown. His mother passed away when John was eleven without ever revealing his father's identity. Owen once prophesied that John's father's identity would be revealed to him by God. This prophecy marked the beginning of John's faith in God. John discusses Gravesend's history of lumber industry and his grandmother's disdain for the Meany family who ran a granite quarry. Owen, who wasn't deaf despite the noisy quarry, introduced John to Wall's History of Gravesend. John shares his mother's enigmatic pregnancy story, her affair with a man she met on a Boston-bound train, and her sudden death, which left an unhealable wound in John's life. John reminiscences about his childhood incidents involving Owen, like Owen getting lost in John's grandmother's mansion, and a time when Owen pretended to drown in the quarry lake. John and Owen's religious discussions further increase when both start attending Episcopalian Sunday school. Owen’s strong religious convictions impress John. John's mother wanted Owen to go to the prestigious academy because of his academic brilliance. However, Owen chose to go to the public school, believing it suited him better. A tragic accident occurs during a Little League game when John and Owen were eleven. Owen, who is usually not allowed to bat due to his small strike zone, is given a chance to swing. The ball hits John's mother, instantly killing her. Amid the ensuing chaos, Owen disappears, and John suspects that he took the ball with him.
chapter 2
John recalls his mother, Tabitha, and how she had a unique way of presenting herself that people found attractive. She didn't flirt openly, but he presumes she must have charmed men during her regular train rides to Boston for her singing lessons. It was during these trips that she met John's father, and her future husband, Dan Needham, who prompted her to switch from the Congregationalist Church to the Episcopalian. In 1948, Tabby announces at dinner that she has met another man on her usual train rides. This man, Dan Needham, who is a Harvard graduate and drama teacher, is applying for a job at Gravesend Academy. Their first meeting is awkward, but Dan manages to intrigue John by giving him a mysterious paper bag, warning him not to open it unless it moves. Overwhelmed by curiosity, John opens the bag and screams at the sight of a stuffed armadillo, a prop Dan had been using for a lecture at the academy. John fondly remembers his visits to his aunt Martha and her husband Alfred Eastman in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire. His three cousins, Noah, Simon, and Hester, live a more rugged lifestyle compared to him, which both fascinates and scares him. Hester, the only girl and closest to him in age, warns him about the dangers of reckless skiing. John's cousin Hester leaves a lasting impression on him. Despite her rough upbringing, John is drawn to her and doesn't mind losing in games just to get a chance to kiss her. Owen, John's friend, is always envious when John leaves to visit his relatives, especially since he can't take the armadillo with him. On one Thanksgiving, John introduces his cousins to Owen, who leaves them stunned with his unusual appearance and voice. After the tragic incident of Owen's baseball accident that kills his mother, John wakes up to find Owen's most prized baseball cards on his doorstep. John returns the cards, following Dan's advice, and also gives Owen the armadillo, symbolizing his continued love for him. John reflects on Dan's words about having a specific purpose in life, and begins to see the idea of a designated fate. Owen returns the armadillo to John after two nights, but its claws have been removed. John is furious, but Dan explains that Owen is making a statement—like the armadillo, they've all lost something. John ponders on Owen's message, concluding that Owen believes he was chosen by God to fulfill a particular purpose. John concludes his narrative in Toronto on January 30, 1987. He compares the snowing city to his small hometown, Gravesend, in New England. He reminisces about the '60s when he and Owen, as seniors at the Gravesend Academy, closely followed the Vietnam War. Owen was critical of the American involvement from the start. John credits Owen for helping him avoid serving in the war and says Owen gave him more than he took, even though he was responsible for his mother's death.
chapter 3
John recalls his mother’s aptitude for sewing and her dressmaker's dummy that was always adorned in stylish clothing. She would borrow outfits from high-end Boston stores, replicate them, and return the originals. The dummy was often mistaken for John’s mother by him and Dan Needham. Although they enjoyed dressing it, they could never convince her to wear the sole red dress in her closet. The only time she wore it was when she played a wife gone mad in the play Angel Street by the Gravesend Players, brought back by Dan. One evening, Owen stayed at John's house and woke up with a fever. He claimed to have seen an angel near John’s mother’s bed. John brushed it off as a fever-induced hallucination, but Owen remained steadfast in his belief. Later, after John’s mother's death caused by a baseball hit by Owen, he spoke of predestination and believed that the angel he saw was the Angel of Death, disrupted from its task by him. That same night, Owen kept watch for the angel’s return, sharing a bed with John’s mother. After a confusion with John’s grandmother, who Owen mistook for a ghost, Owen insisted for years that she howled like a banshee, which is a harbinger of death. This was seen as a ludicrous claim until Dan Needham found the actual meaning of a banshee. John reminisces about his grandmother’s performance in The Constant Wife, directed by Dan. He reflects on Dan's acceptance in their family and community, but ponders why he and his mother waited four years to get married. The couple’s religious differences didn't come in the way of the wedding, with the Episcopalians and Congregationalists vying for their membership. The wedding ceremony was conducted by Rev. Merrill and Rev. Wiggin at Gravesend Academy’s nondenominational chapel, Hurd's Church. At the wedding reception, a comment on Owen’s dark suit led to a confrontation involving Hester. She ended up giving her underwear to Owen for safekeeping while she relieved herself in the bushes, avoiding the restroom queue. As the newlyweds set off for their honeymoon amidst a hailstorm, Owen left with them, unknowingly taking Hester's underwear. John shares that the baseball coach who compelled Owen to hit the fatal shot is now suffering from Alzheimer's. He also remembers Harry Hoyt who could have prevented Owen from going to the plate, only to die later in Vietnam. John reflects on his mother’s funeral, the sound of a baseball practice disturbing the ceremony, and Owen repeatedly apologizing. After the burial, John was offered a home by his Aunt Martha, Mrs. Wheelwright, and Dan. He chose to split his time between Dan and his grandmother. John and Hester found Owen praying at his mother’s grave, after which they removed the dressmaker's dummy from Dan's apartment to reduce his sorrow. Owen decided to keep the dummy, which was wearing the red dress. Reflecting on these events from 1987 in Toronto, John reveals his belief in angels, something that hasn’t done much good for him personally. He ends by hinting at his own experience with wrath and evil.
chapter 4
The festive season of 1953 is particularly somber following the death of John's mother. To distract themselves, young John and his friend Owen explore the vacant dorms of Gravesend Academy while Dan oversees the school's theatrical production of A Christmas Carol. Both boys are set to partake in the church's Christmas play, with the persistent Owen refusing to reprise his previous role as the Announcing Angel, which he found embarrassing. The Reverend Wiggin and Barb plan a unique nativity play involving costumes and an abundance of infants ready to step in should the baby Jesus start crying. As the boys continue their explorations over the holidays, they stumble upon pornography, which results in them viewing the owner of the room in a negative light. They also find condoms, leading to a surprising and slightly rebellious experimentation on their part. During the casting of the Christmas play, Owen insists that he will not play the angel role, leading to a chubby boy named Harold Crosby being mistakenly chosen for the part. However, it's Owen who suggests that he should play Jesus, an idea that is accepted by the group. Owen manages to convince the group to remove the crib from the manger scene and builds his own bed in the hay. The girl playing Virgin Mary, Mary Beth Baird, displays her affection for the baby Jesus by bowing to him, an act the rector decides to include in the performance. In his 1987 reflection, John reveals his preference for attending church services on weekdays to avoid families with uninterested children. He criticizes the clergy at his church for their racism and poor attire. He also mentions not attending the Christmas pageants as the 1953 performance was enough for him. The same year, Dan's play A Christmas Carol suffers due to the amateur acting. John recalls how Mr. Fish's dog, Sagamore, died after being hit by a diaper delivery truck, and how Owen led the funeral service with a heartfelt recital of the Resurrection verse. John rarely visits Owen's house in 1953, noticing the damaged Nativity scene on the mantle. When Owen's parents learn their son will play Jesus in the pageant, they react with shock. One night, John reveals to his grandmother that Owen believes his peculiar voice is a gift from God, a claim dismissed by Mrs. Wheelwright. While exploring Waterhouse Hall, John and Owen accidentally witness the Brinker-Smiths, a faculty couple, in an intimate moment. This leaves them shocked and Owen exclaims that sex makes people go insane. Finally, Owen steps in to play the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come when the original actor quits. His powerful performance silences the cast and earns him newfound respect from Mrs. Wheelwright. Thus, Owen assumes the roles of both the baby Jesus and the Ghost of the Future.
chapter 5
Owen's depiction of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is celebrated and haunting in equal measure. Dan wonders whether Owen's serious demeanor is tarnishing the joyous ending of A Christmas Carol. When Owen catches a cold, Dan hopes that the audience will find a sniffling ghost less intimidating. On the day of the Christmas pageant, Owen and John join Mr. Fish, a non-churchgoer intrigued by Owen's performance, on the way to church. They encounter a gloomy Rev. Merrill, Rev. Wiggin, and Barb. Owen insists on wearing his "lucky scarf" before being swaddled. Barb carries Owen to his place, pressing him against her breasts, and kissing him. Upon her retreat, John observes Owen's arousal, believing Barb intentionally humiliated him to teach him a harsh lesson. As the pageant commences, Owen maintains his composure. His stern gaze at Barb frightens her, causing her to drop Harold Crosby, the angel who forgets his lines. As Owen is unveiled as Baby Jesus, the glaring spotlight causes some children in animal costumes to faint. Overwhelmed, Mary Beth Baird, playing Virgin Mary, leaps onto Owen, who shoos her away. Spotting his parents in the crowd, Owen angrily exclaims, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?" The Meanys leave, and Owen instructs John and Mary Beth to carry him out. The children follow them off stage in an impromptu procession. Outside, John tucks Owen into his parents' truck, and Owen remarks cryptically, "IT'S A GOOD THING I WORE MY LUCKY SCARF." John recalls a heated discussion with Canon Mackie about his growing frustration with America's nuclear policies. Canon Mackie suggests John's anger stems from his failure to secure a position in the vestry elections, and that he's living in the past. John reflects on the Nativity of 1953, where Owen's portrayal of the Christ Child has replaced the traditional Christmas story in his mind. He recalls the chaos that followed Owen's exit, the stunned congregation, and the hanging Harold Crosby. Barb Wiggin declares Owen's banishment unless he speaks to her first, a demand that John knows will result in Owen's absence from church. Dan intervenes, reminding Barb of her negligence, and ensures Owen's unrestricted return to the church. John laments his first Christmas Eve without his mother, an evening spent watching the final show of A Christmas Carol. He discusses Owen's harsh reaction towards his parents during the pageant, and his vague reference to an old slight from the Catholic Church. In the audience, John spots familiar faces from the baseball game where Owen accidentally killed his mother. He remembers her waving at someone and speculates it could have been his father. Owen's compelling performance as the ghost ends with him fainting at the sight of his own name on Scrooge's grave. Returning home, they find Lydia, the maid, has died. Mrs. Wheelwright suggests Owen confused a premonition of Lydia's death as his own. John, battling unfamiliar feelings of lust towards Germaine, the young maid, reaches out to Owen. Owen supports John, agreeing to help him find his father. However, Owen denies seeing a date on the headstone in the premonition, which John knows is a lie.
chapter 6
Upon Lydia's passing, John's grandmother purchases a television for their home. She allows John and Owen to watch freely, barring only the Late Show to maintain a proper bedtime. Mrs. Wheelwright becomes a constant viewer and critic of the TV shows, making television seem dull without her commentary. The year 1954 is marked by Owen and Mrs. Wheelwright’s mutual admiration for Liberace’s show. John doesn’t understand this fascination and discusses it with Dan, who advises him to be less judgmental. Owen is set to join Gravesend Academy due to a scholarship and Mrs. Wheelwright's financial aid. However, when John is directed to a public high school for a year before joining the academy, Owen decides to join him so they can stay together. In Thanksgiving 1954, Hester visits Gravesend and is equally critical of the television. Owen is terrified by a movie about a nun and refers to nuns as "PENGUINS". Before entering the academy in 1957, John and Owen spend evenings observing Gravesend Players productions and remembering those present at John's mother's fatal baseball game. Owen advises John in his search for his biological father, saying, "EVERY TIME YOU GET A BONER, TRY TO THINK IF YOU REMIND YOURSELF OF ANYONE YOU KNOW." John regrets not seeing more of Hester during these years and hopes for more visits. However, Owen reminds John that Hester is their cousin and is better off out of his reach. John in 1987 mentions that Liberace, dearly loved by Owen and Mrs. Wheelwright, has passed away, and it's Palm Sunday. He remembers that Owen detested Palm Sunday and reflects on how the holiday is celebrated at his current teaching position at the Bishop Strachan School. In the summer of 1958, John and Owen get their driving licenses. They spend time driving to beaches and observing girls. John notices Owen's attractiveness to women and his physical strength from his father's granite yard work. They begin their time at Gravesend Academy in the fall of 1958. Owen thrives and earns the nickname "The Voice" for his distinct essays in the student paper. Owen even invites Hester to the Senior Dance, sparking jealous feelings in John. As time progresses, Owen develops an interest in basketball and practices a slam dunk move with John's support. Owen believes this move has a special significance in his life. In his 1987 writings, John criticizes the current president, Ronald Reagan, and shares his struggle teaching Tess of the D'Urbervilles to a high school class. He credits Owen for showing him how to truly appreciate a book. In the winter of '59, Rev. Merrill begins teaching at the academy, sparking intellectual debates with Owen who always has the last word. A new headmaster, Randy White, is appointed at the academy, much to Owen's displeasure who labels him an anti-Semitic racist. In 1960, the boys register for the draft and continue practicing their slam-dunk move, dubbed "THE SHOT". Owen's opposition to White's authoritarian policies lands him in trouble. Owen is a fervent supporter of Kennedy and is greatly impacted by his win in the presidential election. His inaugural speech, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," becomes a guiding principle for Owen. Even in 1987, amidst his anger at the Reagan administration, John concurs with Owen's admiration for Kennedy.
chapter 7
At the age of nineteen, Owen discloses to John the meaning behind the armadillo claws incident after John's mother's death, stating, "GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT." This shocks John. They argue over this during their practice of "The Shot" in their school gym, but eventually completes it successfully in under four seconds. Owen celebrates this success with "IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE MORE FAITH." There are disagreements regarding their college choices. John intends to attend a state university, but Owen, who has the potential for a full scholarship at Harvard or Yale, wishes for them to stay together. Despite this, John doesn't want Owen to forfeit a better opportunity for his sake. As the school's top student, Owen has a full ride to the University of New Hampshire. He is also now the editor of the school newspaper, using his position to create fake IDs for his peers. As seniors, they can travel to Boston twice a week. Unlike their peers, they visit a clothing store called Jerrold's, matching the label on John's mother's red dress. Owen is investigating John's mother and possibly his unknown father. They show a picture of Tabby Wheelwright to the store owner who identifies her as "The Lady in Red," a previous singer at a local club. They then visit her former singing instructor, Graham McSwiney, to glean more information, but with limited success. John's narrative is riddled with criticisms against America and the Reagan administration, especially the Iran-Contra scandal. He immerses himself in politics, expressing his anger towards the Vietnam War. He also relives his New Year's Eves with Owen and Hester from 1962 to 1968, marked by Hester's yearly drinking overindulgence. John's mother gives Owen a diary for Christmas in 1961, which he fills with adoration for John F. Kennedy and prophetic entries about his own future like "I KNOW WHEN I'M GOING TO DIE." Owen's senior year at school is fraught with disagreements with school head, Randy White, and conflicts with other students. He almost gets expelled due to an incident with a classmate's mother, Mitzy. He remains in school but is on probation. Owen works as a waiter at the school cafeteria and one morning discovers his parking spot occupied by Dr. Dolder's car. Enraged, he moves the car to the school auditorium stage with the basketball team's help. The prank leads to the car's damage and the headmaster, Mr. White, being trapped inside. When Owen is implicated in a fake ID scandal, he is expelled. Owen contacts Mrs. Wheelwright to apologize. He urges John and Dan to attend the next school assembly. When they arrive, they find a statue of Mary Magdalene, head and arms removed, bolted to the stage. Dan rushes to find Rev. Merrill, at whose home they find a distressed Owen, who simply requests Rev. Merrill to pray for him at the meeting. The assembly attendees are shocked by the statue's sight. When Mr. White attempts to disrupt the prayer for Owen, Rev. Merrill defies him. This leads to Mr. White's removal as headmaster. Owen doesn't graduate from the academy but receives support from the public and manages to get into the University of New Hampshire, foregoing Harvard and Yale. He decides to join the ROTC to finance his education. John wishes he had known more about Owen's recurring dream and premonitions about his death, as expressed in his diary entries, and would have prayed harder for him.
chapter 8
John and Owen, separated for the summer of 1962, work at their respective family businesses. John's attempts to lose his virginity repeatedly fail, despite his friends' help. Meanwhile, Owen and Hester live together, much to Aunt Martha's discomfort. Owen is evermore fatalistic about his eventual death and Hester grows increasingly furious, later becoming an antiwar activist. In 1987, John vacations with his friend Katherine Keeling and her family. His obsession with newspapers and anger towards the Reagan administration persist. Amidst his recollections of adjusting to Canada, he recalls overhearing Katherine's husband label him a "non-practicing homosexual," a term he derides but doesn't refute. Back in 1962, John and Owen keep in touch through letters. John rushes Simon to hospital after a work injury. There, he learns of Marilyn Monroe's death. Owen, in a letter, likens Monroe to America itself: "A LITTLE BREATHLESS, VERY BEAUTIFUL, MAYBE A LITTLE STUPID, MAYBE A LOT SMARTER THAN SHE SEEMED," and criticises JFK for exploiting her. In the autumn of 1962, both boys start at the University of New Hampshire. Owen underperforms academically due to his focus on ROTC training. In contrast, John exceeds Owen's grades. They both commute from home to college. During the summer of 1963, John works at Mr. Meany's quarry. Upon hearing of Kennedy's assassination, Mrs. Wheelwright is devastated. Throughout these years, Owen collaborates with Catholics in Gravesend on a statue, while Hester's anger escalates. Owen's dedication to securing his Vietnam assignment worries John, who confidentially expresses his concerns to Owen's ROTC leader. After their junior year, Owen completes Basic Training but is disappointed by his second place finish due to his height. Owen fears he won’t be sent to Vietnam and John is unsure about his own draft eligibility. Owen is convinced he's destined to die in Vietnam after having a dream in which he believes he saves Vietnamese children. Post-college, Owen is assigned administrative work in Arizona which he views as temporary. Before leaving, they visit Canada. In Arizona, Owen works as a "Casualty Assistance Officer." Meanwhile, John, unsure about his upcoming draft physical, receives a letter from Owen advising him to wait. In a shocking turn of events, Owen plans to prevent John's draft by cutting his trigger finger off. Scared, John goes through with the plan. Owen, covered in John's blood, remarks, "JUST THINK OF THIS AS MY LITTLE GIFT TO YOU."
chapter 9
By 1987, Hester transforms into a significant rock musician under the pseudonym "Hester the Molester". Despite John finding her music distasteful, his students are huge fans. During their encounters, Hester takes pleasure in teasing John about his celibacy. John attributes his sexual inactivity to the trauma caused by past events, not a lack of interest in women. John credits Hester's rough exterior to the pain caused by Owen's death. He refutes the idea that Owen has left him behind, citing two visitations from Owen's spirit. In a recent visit to Dan at 80 Front Street, John experiences the spirit of Owen, which leaves him with white hair roots. The narrative then moves to his grandmother's death. She peacefully dies in a retirement home while watching television. John also recounts the summer of 1967, during which Owen helped him with his Master's thesis on Thomas Hardy. On another visit to Dan, John is urged to return to Gravesend and let go of the past. However, John insists he cannot forget Owen. The narrative then shifts to the start of a new school year at the Bishop Strachan School and the introduction of a problematic new faculty member, Eleanor Pribst. Prior to Owen's death, Hester vowed to never attend his funeral. In 1967, John participates in the March on the Pentagon, but feels detached due to his physical inability to join the army. After Owen's death, John visits Mr. Meany to discuss funeral arrangements. During the visit, John finds out that Owen claimed to be a virgin birth, causing an uproar in the Catholic community. John discovers Owen's tombstone, which Owen had crafted six months before his death and bears the accurate date of his demise. John finds the Meanys' claims about Owen's virgin birth outrageous. Discussing this with Rev. Merrill, John recalls seeing the reverend at the accident that killed his mother. A sudden revelation leads him to find the baseball that killed his mother in the third drawer. John realizes that Rev. Merrill is his father and that Merrill was present at his mother's death. Confronted, Merrill confesses that he wished for Tabby's death, which he believes led to her actual demise. This event shook his faith. John, disappointed with Merrill, leaves his mother's dummy outside the church and throws the baseball through the reverend's window. Mistaking the figure for Tabby, Merrill is brought to his knees, reaffirming his faith. He delivers a touching eulogy at Owen's funeral. At Owen's funeral, the light from the hole in the window shines on Owen's military medal. Mary Beth Baird asks John about their childhood memories of Owen. John struggles to answer, overcome by the reality of Owen's absence. John then narrates his move to Canada and reveals Mrs. Meany's death in a fire caused by Owen's memorial flag. Mr. Meany's business goes bankrupt, leading him to work as a meter-reader and wear Owen's medal in his memory. The narrative concludes with the circumstances of Owen's death. In 1968, Owen summons John to Phoenix due to a mix-up with a soldier's body. They spend their time drinking by the pool and meeting the deceased's family. On the supposed day of his death, Owen spots nuns escorting Vietnamese war orphans at the airport. Suddenly, Dick Jarvits, the deceased's half-brother, threatens the children with a grenade. John catches the grenade and hands it to Owen, who sacrifices himself to save the children. Following Owen's death, John finally understands and appreciates the divine intervention in Owen's life. He acknowledges Owen's destiny to save the children and accepts him as a divine miracle. John mourns Owen and promises to keep asking God for his return.
