A Town Called Solace

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-18

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Moses

Moses, Mrs. Orchard’s cat, is an important symbol in the book, representing stability and a sense of home. Moses’s role in the story helps to illustrate The Search for Solace and Understanding for both Clara and Liam.

Mrs. Orchard entrusts Clara with Moses’s care when she goes to the hospital, and this is what brings Clara and Liam into contact with each other, as Clara continually sneaks into the house to feed Moses. Moses is a source of comfort for Clara, who feels less anxious when she plays with Moses and he purrs in her lap. Caring for Moses gives Clara a sense of routine and stability, helping her to feel that she has at least one outlet for her pent-up emotions.

Moses also represents the solace that Liam is seeking and eventually finds. Although Moses avoids Liam for most of the book—just as Liam initially avoids connecting with others in the town—his presence is a constant in the house, ensuring that Liam is never actually alone. Significantly, Liam finally meets Moses at the very end of the book, when he finally decides to stay on in Solace. This symbolizes how Liam is now a permanent fixture in both Solace and Clara’s life, finally warranting Moses’s trust.

Patterns and Rituals

Patterns and rituals are a recurring motif in the book: Some exist within the confines of the story, and others are layered into the plot. Clara turns to strict rituals, such as her window-side vigil for Rose or counting her steps on the way to school, as a form of self-soothing to deal with her anxiety. These patterns underline the theme of Confronting and Overcoming Challenges, as they are initially Clara’s only way of coping with her distress. Similarly, she engages in other rituals that appear to calm her down, such as spending time with Moses at the same time every day or unpacking cardboard boxes with Liam. As Clara begins to feel safer and seen by Liam, her reliance upon these rituals lessens, reflecting her regained sense of control and trust.

Other repeating patterns occur across the plot, creating parallels between Mrs. Orchard’s flashbacks and the present-day narrative. A child goes missing twice—Mrs. Orchard’s kidnapping of Liam and Rose’s disappearance—and both times the children are brought back home with the help of the police. In both past and present, a child also finds solace in a trusted adult outside of their immediate family: Mrs. Orchard is a source of comfort for Liam, just as the adult Liam is a source of comfort for Clara.

Another repeating pattern is the bequeathing of possessions: Mrs. Orchard makes Liam her sole beneficiary in her will. Similarly, Liam promises some of his things to Clara upon his death, as well as giving her some items right away. This signifies how the close relationship between adult and child will repeat across yet another generation.

Mrs. Orchard’s House

Mrs. Orchard’s house is both an important setting and a symbol—both her house in Guelph and her house in Solace. Both places represent a refuge for Liam, symbolizing the importance of interpersonal connections in personal growth and healing. In Guelph, Mrs. Orchard turns her house into a home for Liam when he is a young boy starved for affection within his own family. Many years later, she repeats this same act when she senses that Liam is unhappy: She bequeaths Liam her house in Solace, which becomes the adult Liam’s home during a time of crisis after his divorce.

It is significant that, while Liam occupies and repairs the house, he also forms new relationships in town with Jim Peake, Clara, Jo, and Sergeant Barnes. Mrs. Orchard’s house is a source of comfort and refuge for Clara as well. She feels safe there as she plays with Moses, and later bonds with Liam in the same space. In this manner, Mrs. Orchard’s house symbolizes a safe space filled with love.