46 pages • 1 hour read
Tillie ColeA Thousand Boy Kisses
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Prologue-Chapter 6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Prologue Summary
Content Warning: This work contains discussions of death and illness involving children.
Looking back 12 years, 17-year-old Rune Kristiansen recalls one of the four moments that defined his life.
A five-year-old Rune is yelling at his mother in Norwegian, complaining that his family moved to Blossom Grove, Georgia. Rune can speak English, and his parents only address him in English. Rune’s house is right next to another home, and Rune is uncomfortable with how his window faces the neighbor’s window. A five-year-old girl climbs out of the window, covered in mud, and approaches Rune. The girl shakes Rune’s hand and explains that handshakes are polite. She introduces herself as Poppy Litchfield. Rune yells at Poppy in Norwegian, but Poppy thinks it is exciting that Rune is a “Viking,” saying his long blond hair and blue eyes make him look like Thor. Poppy says she goes on adventures and that she would like a Viking to join her. She says they will talk all night and be best friends. Rune thinks living in Georgia might not be so bad with Poppy around, but he notes that things can always change.
Chapter 1 Summary: “Broken Hearts and Boy-Kiss Jars”
When Poppy is eight, her father, James, takes her out of school early. Rune is worried, and Poppy knows school is only fun when they are together. James explains to Poppy that her grandmother, “Mamaw,” is sick. Mamaw is Poppy’s best friend other than Rune, and they go on adventures together.
Rune’s mother, Adelis, meets Poppy and James outside their home with a dish of food and expresses sympathy for James’s family. Poppy sees her aunts, Silvia and DeeDee, and her younger sisters, Savannah and Ida. James brings Poppy to Mamaw’s room, where a nurse and Poppy’s mother sit with Mamaw. Mamaw calls Poppy over and tells her she is going away for a while. Poppy worries that Mamaw is going on this “adventure” alone, but Mamaw assures her that she is not afraid of death. Mamaw tells Poppy how kisses from Poppy’s “papaw” are her favorite memory since they were kisses from her soul mate. She gives Poppy a jar full of paper hearts to record boy kisses that make Poppy feel extra special so that Poppy can remember them when she is older. Mamaw tells Poppy to remember “moonbeam hearts and sunshine smiles” (15), and Poppy goes to the blossom grove.
The blossom grove was Mamaw’s favorite place, as the blossoms represent fleeting beauty. Rune follows Poppy to the grove, and Poppy explains how Mamaw is going away. Rune smiles at Poppy, and Poppy notes how girls at school wish Rune would smile at them. However, Rune then gets angry about the jar of boy kisses because he does not want other boys to kiss Poppy. Rune kisses her instead, and Poppy feels like her heart will burst. She records her first boy kiss. Rune says he wants to kiss more, and Poppy records five boy kisses by the end of the day. At home, Poppy’s parents tell her Mamaw is dead, but in her dreams, Poppy tells Mamaw about kissing Rune.
Chapter 2 Summary: “Musical Notes and Bonfire Flames”
When Rune is 15, he takes pictures of Poppy’s cello performance at school. He dresses in dark clothing and has a talent for photography. Rune waits for Poppy outside, avoiding a group of girls who try to get his attention. Poppy comes out and greets Rune with a kiss, marking it as kiss 352, which Rune loves. The group of girls—particularly one named Avery—makes Poppy uncomfortable, but Rune assures Poppy she is the only girl he likes. They go to a bonfire in a field nearby, meeting with Poppy’s best friend, Jorie, and Rune’s best friends, Judson and Deacon. Rune wants to be alone with Poppy, but she thinks it is good to spend time with other friends. Rune takes a picture of Poppy looking at Rune, and Poppy loves it. The friends cough awkwardly when Poppy and Rune kiss for too long, and Rune walks Poppy home.
Poppy’s father greets Rune dryly, and Rune goes home. His parents are waiting for him, and Rune feels an odd tension in the room. Rune’s father says they are going to the beach the next day as a family; Poppy cannot come. Rune goes to develop the film from the 1960s Canon camera his parents bought him for his 13th birthday. After developing the photos, Rune prints the photo he took of Poppy and himself. He then looks in on his two-year-old brother, Alton, and checks to see if Poppy’s nightlight is on. It is, so Rune sneaks to Poppy’s room, as he has done every night since they were 12 years old, to spend the night with her. He gives her the framed photo of them, and she loves it. Rune tells Poppy they cannot see each other until dinner the next day because of his family beach trip. They kiss and touch each other, but Poppy stops Rune from going further. Rune understands, but he says it is hard to control himself. They repeat that they will be together “For infinity” and “Forever always” (41).
Chapter 3 Summary: “Sand Dunes and Salty Tears”
At the beach, Rune’s parents explain that they need to move back to Oslo for Rune’s father’s job. Rune is livid and runs off. His father follows and tries to tell Rune why they need to leave. Rune’s parents waited to tell Rune to save him weeks of pain, but Rune is still angry.
At home, Rune goes to the blossom grove, where Poppy is reading. Rune tells Poppy he needs to leave, and Poppy is devastated. They kiss—number 354—and they promise they will always love each other. Rune plans to go to Poppy’s room that night as usual. Meanwhile, Rune fights with his parents, telling them he will always hate them for taking him away from Poppy; even after they return, they will have taken away years he could have spent with her. His parents do not reply beyond letting Rune know they need to leave early in the morning.
Rune gathers his belongings and sees Poppy’s nightlight on. He goes to her room, and she says she wants to have sex. She wanted to wait when she thought they had time to spare, but she wants to share this before Rune leaves her. They make love and share kiss 355. Rune stays awake as long as he can afterward, enjoying as much time with Poppy as possible. In the morning, Rune goes back to his room and finds his father. His father leaves without saying anything, and Rune packs his remaining belongings. Outside, Poppy’s family says goodbye to Rune’s, and they part to give Rune and Poppy space. Rune takes a picture of Poppy’s face, documenting her moment of heartbreak. Rune and Poppy reiterate their promise of “For infinity,” saying they will see each other in their dreams.
Chapter 4 Summary: “Silence”
When Rune arrives in Oslo, he and Poppy talk every day for two months. Rune’s anger with his parents grows, but he ultimately feels empty. Then Poppy stops returning Rune’s calls and emails, and her family moves away without telling Rune. Poppy’s disappearance is the second of four moments that define his life.
Chapter 5 Summary: “Lovers Old and Strangers New”
Jorie tells Poppy, who is now 17, that Rune is moving back to Blossom Grove. Poppy dropped out of school shortly after Rune’s family left but returned to school in Blossom Grove two weeks ago; Poppy told everyone that her family had to take care of a sick aunt, but that was a lie. Deacon and Judson are throwing a party at the field for Rune, but Poppy was not invited. Jorie feels bad for Poppy, who tries to hide her mixed feelings. As Poppy walks home, Avery calls out to Poppy, relishing the fact that Rune is likely available for a new romance, but Deacon and his girlfriend, Ruby, interrupt. Deacon remarks that Rune and Poppy have not spoken in two years, which reminds Poppy of what she lost with Rune.
That night, Poppy struggles to fall asleep, and she wakes up to the sound of moving vans. Her parents greet the Kristiansens, who look the same as when they left. Alton looks like a four-year-old Rune, but Rune is not present. Later, Poppy watches from her father’s office as Rune steps outside to smoke a cigarette. Poppy is amazed by Rune’s beauty, but she is ashamed of his smoking. Since Mamaw died of a smoking-related illness, Poppy and Rune promised never to smoke. As Poppy watches, Rune fights with his father, walks to Poppy’s window, and then walks back to his room.
Poppy’s mother approaches and says that according to Rune’s parents, Rune fell in with a bad crowd in Norway; they are not sure how he will react to being back in Georgia. Rune meets Deacon, Judson, and Avery in the street; he ignores Avery but drives away with the group. Rune’s father waves to Poppy, and Poppy mourns the beautiful brevity of her romance with Rune.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Crowded Hallways and Pierced Hearts”
Poppy’s mother brings her to school late after a doctor’s appointment. Poppy assures her mother that she is ready to go to school, and they say they love each other. Poppy gets a late pass from the school secretary and then runs into Rune by her locker. Rune looks angry, and he stares at her without speaking. A hall monitor interrupts their gazes, asking for their passes. Poppy walks away, but she turns to see Rune still staring at her.
After a week, Poppy has not spoken to Rune. Poppy only feels relief from her emotions when she plays the cello, but her fears and sadness rush back whenever she finishes a piece. She sees other girls crowding around Rune, and she worries he might be interested in someone else. Jorie invites Poppy to a party, saying Rune will not be there. Poppy accepts.
As she walks home, Poppy sees Rune following her home. Arriving at her house, Poppy rushes inside, afraid she might talk to Rune. She fears telling Rune what happened during the past two years, but she also fears Rune telling her their relationship meant nothing to him.
Prologue-Chapter 6 Analysis
The novel’s opening places Rune and Poppy’s relationship front and center. The story begins with Rune moving to Blossom Grove at five years old. Moving to Georgia is the first of four events Rune claims defined his life, in part due to the inevitable culture shock; however, the true significance of the move is that it allows him to meet Poppy. Indeed, this friendship eases the transition: Poppy accepts Rune’s Norwegian language and accent, even glorifying them by comparing him to Vikings and Thor. Rune thinks: “Maybe Georgia won’t be so bad after all […] not if I have Poppy Litchfield as my very best friend” (5). Poppy’s willingness to welcome him as a new friend overpowers Rune’s anger about the move itself. As the novel progresses, Poppy’s ability to calm and cheer up Rune will become more significant, so this early interaction provides crucial characterization on Rune and Poppy’s dynamic.
Mamaw’s death introduces the topic of loss and the theme of Emotional Resilience in the Face of Loss and Mortality as Poppy copes with losing one of her best friends at only eight years old. Poppy does not understand what is happening at first, only seeing how sad her parents and aunt are. However, when Poppy realizes Mamaw is “going home,” she laments the loss of her grandmother. In response, Mamaw comforts Poppy by reminding her of her mantra: “[Mamaw] always said she had moonbeams in her heart and sunshine in her smile” (8). Moonbeam hearts and sunshine smiles become a motif associated with overcoming loss through unwavering optimism. Mamaw’s wish in her dying moments is for Poppy to live as happily and optimistically as Mamaw did.
Mamaw’s other gift to Poppy is the jar of boy kisses, which shapes the trajectory of Rune and Poppy’s relationship. Like Mamaw’s mantra, the idea of the 1,000 boy kisses is one that Mamaw repurposes from her own life—specifically, her relationship with Poppy’s grandfather, Papaw. Mamaw cherished Papaw’s kisses because “they were all special and made you smile, made you feel loved, because he was your soulmate. Your forever always” (13). This passage introduces another motif: “infinity” as an interchangeable term for true love. The boy kisses kickstart Poppy and Rune’s relationship because Rune is jealous of any other boys who might try to kiss Poppy and responds in a way that promptly fulfills Mamaw’s wish that Poppy find her soul mate. Besides making Poppy and Rune’s relationship part of Mamaw’s legacy (and thus underscoring the importance of familial as well as romantic love), this sequence of events underscores the seriousness of the relationship by implicitly linking it to that of a long-married couple.
The narrative structure further underscores the dominant theme of the novel, The Intensity of Young Love, by highlighting only key moments in Rune and Poppy’s romance. The novel introduces their initial friendship at five years old, skips to their first kiss at eight years old, and then skips even further to kiss 352 when they are 15. This indicates the intensity of Rune and Poppy’s romance, which holds strong over the course of a decade.
The departure of Rune’s family emphasizes the nature of Rune and Poppy’s connection while also constituting the novel’s first real conflict. When Poppy breaks contact with Rune, he describes it as the second event that defined his life, adding, “A life without Poppy. No infinity. No forever always. Just…nothing” (69). Poppy, likewise, expresses how she “hurt[s] in [her] heart” when Rune returns (73). Parents are often an antagonistic force in YA literature, and Tillie Cole uses Rune and Poppy’s parents to construct different kinds of barriers to Poppy and Rune’s relationship. James Litchfield, Poppy’s father, is generally disapproving of Rune, speaking to him “dryly” and worrying about Rune’s influence on Poppy. Rune’s father, Erik, has a more drastic impact on Rune and Poppy’s relationship, as he decides to move the family back to Oslo. Rune tells Erik: “And even then, I’ll hate you for taking me away from her in the first place. Because of you, I’ll miss out on years of being with my girl” (56). His sense that the boundaries and conditions his parents enforce are stifling is a common refrain in YA literature, as it mirrors the likely frustrations of many adolescent readers. Moreover, the text implicitly justifies Rune’s intense anger—and not only by showing the discomfort and tension that occur when Rune returns to Blossom Grove. Rune’s complaint that he is losing precious time with Poppy both foreshadows her death and becomes more pointed in light of how short her life ultimately is.
