50 pages • 1 hour read
J. L. Esplin96 Miles
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 9-13Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 9 Summary
With 18 miles left for the day, the group stops to boil the toilet water and take a break. Cleverly pitches in, gathering the materials John needs to start a fire while Will and Stew rest. Before long, they all decide to form a club as kids who have drunk toilet water. Stew comes up with the name “the Battle Born” for the club, explaining that their dad uses the phrase often (116). It’s the Nevada state motto, and it makes John think of the flag in his bedroom. He expects to be short of breath again, but this time is different; he feels hopeful and a tad emotional. He’s also glad to hear a little bit of the old Stewart in Stew’s voice.
While the rest of the group nap, John finishes boiling the water and aerates it, or introduces air, to speed up the cooling process and add oxygen to the water for taste. He wakes the group, and they continue walking; by this time it’s afternoon. Will suggests that once at Brighton Ranch, they ride horses back to their house in Las Vegas. Stewart starts laughing uncontrollably; he is soon is short of breath and collapses into John’s arms. John makes everyone stop and eat, and Will offers to carry Stew’s pack. When they set out again, John quickens the pace, and, surprisingly, Will keeps up with him.
By nightfall, they’ve gone nine hours without water, and it’s time to drink the boiled toilet water. Will helps John aerate it one last time as they wait for Stew and Cleverly to catch up. John notices Will took his advice and stopped licking his chapped lips. John drinks the first cup of toilet water with the toast: “To the Battle Born” (126).
Chapter 10 Summary
After walking 21 miles for the day, the four kids stop for the night. They are a mile away from the turnoff to the reservoir. Darkness is falling, and Cleverly is spooked by the sounds of critters she can’t see. John pulls Cleverly aside and reveals his plan: He’s going to walk to the reservoir that night while the others sleep and fill their canteens. The plan is to sleep in a line. He needs Cleverly to sleep in the middle, so that Stew will take the far end and won’t hear John get up to leave.
Cleverly accuses John of being full of himself for thinking he can make it all night without rest. John knows she’s right—he’s not sure if he can do it—but it’s their best option. Will calls them over to see the fire Stew built, and John notices that Stew’s eyes are emotionless. John worries about his brother and is unsure whether Cleverly will agree to his plan. After a snack from their food supply, they figure out the sleeping arrangements. When Cleverly demands to sleep in the middle, John is relieved.
John waits for Stew and Will to fall asleep. When he gets up, Cleverly follows him. She’s going with him to the reservoir. John protests but knows she’s right that it’s their best option. This way, they can both drink their fill at the reservoir, and bring water for Will and Stew. Neither John nor Cleverly knows if they have the strength to make it there and back.
Chapter 11 Summary
On the walk, Cleverly asks John why it was so funny to suggest borrowing horses from Brighton Ranch. John reveals that it’s a tortoise ranch, not one with cattle or horses.
They get to know each other as they walk; Cleverly admits she lied in saying that her grandparents sent her and Will to find Jim Lockwood. They left of their own accord. Cleverly saw her grandfather skipping meals and going hungry; when she heard him mention Jim Lockwood’s supplies, she and Will left without telling their grandparents.
Cleverly shares that Stew told her about the food and water robbery, but John doesn’t want to talk or think about it. John notices that Cleverly constantly moves the flashlight she’s holding, looking for bugs and other critters as she walks. John catches sight of a truck tire track in the dirt right by the reservoir turnoff.
Chapter 12 Summary
John can see from how recent the tracks are that they were made by Spike and Killer’s truck. Cleverly and John are nervous about running into the man who stole their canteen but have to get water at the reservoir. Cleverly takes a turn carrying the backpack, and John considers checking the campsites at the reservoir to see if there are any supplies they could steal, or even a car they could take.
John takes Cleverly off the trail on a shortcut to the reservoir, holding her hand to lead her through, his heart fluttering when she says his name. She asks if they have time to wash while at the reservoir. John agrees and digs up a yucca plant that they can use as soap. Stew is the one who showed him how to use yucca; Stew has lots of survival knowledge, even though his behavior on the journey hasn’t shown that.
Reaching the reservoir, Cleverly and John go their separate ways and agree to meet after they’ve cleaned up. John wades down the bank to get a look at the campsites from a distance. He recognizes Clayton Presley’s truck and the truck that passed them earlier on the road, alongside all six of the water tanks taken from his home.
Chapter 13 Summary
John’s mind races with questions and anger. When they reunite, he tells Cleverly what he saw, and she can tell that his calm is a pretense. They argue, and John accuses Cleverly’s grandparents of being unprepared. She reveals that they were quite prepared but were generous and shared everything they had with their neighbors. John regrets what he said, but feels Cleverly can’t understand his need for revenge; he watched his brother cry and break because of the robbery.
John thinks of what his dad would do and say. He gives a heartfelt apology, complimenting Cleverly’s bravery and selflessness. They turn to forming a plan, and John reveals he knows how to hotwire a car. They plan to slash the tires of all the trucks at the campsite, except for the one John will hotwire. Then, they will pick up Stew and Will and drive to Brighton Ranch.
Cleverly and John approach the campsite. John chooses to hotwire Spike and Killer’s truck, since it’s the oldest. John and Cleverly will have to cross a gravel path within sight of the camp area and hope not to be seen. They decide to slash tires together, and then work toward the truck that John will hotwire. They set off across the gravel.
Chapters 9-13 Analysis
Esplin develops Will and Cleverly’s characters through the events in these chapters. She shows Will to be unexpectedly strong, especially once he is entrusted with the responsibility of carrying Stew’s backpack. John notices that Will keeps up with his fast pace, suggesting that taking on responsibility can bolster one’s confidence.
Cleverly is also tough and a team player. She offers to help with whatever John needs for building a fire, and selflessly gives up her night of rest to walk to the reservoir. Cleverly is smart, thinking through situations before choosing the best course. She is unafraid to call out John for being blind to reality and makes him see reason when his judgment is clouded.
Cleverly and John’s relationship develops on their trip to the reservoir. Cleverly has the ability to see beyond John’s feigned calm; she recognizes when he isn’t showing his true emotions. Cleverly’s response to John’s accusations about her grandparents reveals her strong and steady character. She doesn’t yell, but quietly explains how John is wrong. The two balance each other out: John has to struggle against his anger to avoid taking rash action, and Cleverly helps him refrain from rushing in without a plan. Esplin also hints at a budding romance when John’s heart flutters and he holds Cleverly’s hand.
Esplin’s characters see the dark humor of their situation, adding levity to their intense circumstances. While talking about drinking the toilet water, they form a club, showing that facing something difficult helps to unify them. Boiling the toilet water also serves as a turning point for John. When Stew brings up the name Battle Born for the club, John expects to have another panic attack, but doesn’t. Instead, he feels optimistic, a sense that they are in control of their destinies.
Esplin juxtaposes Will’s idea to ride horses to Las Vegas with Stew’s fainting spell to highlight the continued intensity of the situation. Even though the children have moments of laughter, their need to survive a dire situation hasn’t changed. Stew’s mood darkens after he collapses, and John takes notice. This serves to build suspense as the reader wonders what’s wrong. By now, Esplin has given several hints that Stew is suffering from something more than hunger and dehydration.
