A Monster Calls

Conor comes to visit his mom in the hospital, and when they have a moment alone together, his mom tells Conor about what has been happening with her treatments. She admits that her illness hasn’t been responding to treatments and is progressing more quickly than she expected it to. His mother seems exhausted and discouraged, but still puts on a brave face, smiles, and tells Conor that there is one more treatment that they are going to try. Conor asks if this means that things are too late, to which his mother quickly replies that “It’s not too late. It’s never too late” (129). She then tells Conor that this special treatment they are going to try is made from yew trees: just like the tree behind their house. Conor asks if the yew tree treatment is really going to save her, and she says, “I hope so [...] I believe so” (130).

Conor is amazed that the yew tree might be the very thing needed to heal his mother and wonders if the monster has come to heal her. He hears his dad and his grandmother fighting, and when Conor asks why, his father explains that he “[has] to fly back home tonight” (132), because his new wife and baby need him there.