The Wounded Land, Chapter 1: Daughter
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 1:43 am
While the Halloween cookies are baking it's time to do a little reminiscing. Since I hit my twenties, back in the day, when the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant were first published I guess I was a little spoiled. I didn't have to wait. As soon as I was done with The Power That Preserves I had the pleasure of tearing though the first book of the new series, The Wounded Land. That had it's downside too, I probably ripped through the next three books faster than I should have. When I reread the enitre Chronicles two years ago I took it slow and learned so much more. And The Wounded Land was probably the toughest book of the series, if not the toughest book I've ever read, period.
It all begins in "Daughter" where we find ourselves back in Anyruraltown USA roughly nine to ten years after Convenant's miraclulous recovery from allergic shock to rattlesnake antivenom. The older Dr. (from TPTP), Julius Berensford, has kept in touch with Thomas Covenant during all these years and has just hired a new female doctor, fresh out of residency, to head up the County Hospital's Outpatient Clinic and Emergency Room. Her name is Linden Avery and though she trained as a Family Practitioner she's probably the best this town could get. She, apparently, has her own reasons for being here too, as she tells Berensford that the town reminds her of her parents and the town she grew up in.
Even the house where the hospital has rented rooms for her reminds her of her parent's house. As she is moving in to her drab new apartment Dr. Berensford shows up to welcome her and we learn that Linden Avery carries alot more (dark, personal) baggage with her than just her possesions. Her father commited suicide when she was eight and her mother died when she was fifteen. She has taken care of herself and put herself though Med School on grim determination since. A consumate loner, obsessed with her own personal issues she had come to this town to die.
Linden is scheduled to begin work at the hospital that Monday, but after Dr. Berensford gets her settled in he says he need to put her to work right away. It's seems he is at a loss of what to do with one of his patients and needs a second opinion. His patient is a leper named Thomas Covenant who lives just outside of town at a place called Haven Farm. Berensford is extremely cryptic as to what exactly is wrong with Mr. Covenant seeing as he has only lost two fingers and his leprosy has stabilized. It's very odd but the older doctor sounds like whatever going on is almost illegal or too much for him to deal with.
Apparently this Covenant guy is a well known author and a stubborn man, with serious issues of his own, and Berensford finally convinces Linden Avery to go out to see him on the pretense of being new to the town and a fan of his work. She's never heard of him but accepts a copy of Covenant's first book, Or I Will Sell My Soul For Guilt, and she agrees to go.
On her way out to the farm she checks out the town for the first time and sees a destitute family dressed in burlap rags standing on the Courthouse steps holding signs that say "Repent". When she first entered her apartment she found a note under her door that said "Jesus Saves" within a red triangle and these signs share that triangle as well. When she asks Berensford about the note he says that this is a very depressed area given to evangelical inclinations. It is a hot humid day in the middle of spring and even the weeds seem to be melting as she drives past the fields on her way out of town.
She finally finds a sign that says Haven Farm and sees a white frame house set off the road against a backdrop of trees. Then as she continues up the driveway she looks in her rearview mirror and suddenly sees a tall robed figure that seems to appear out of nowhere next to the sign. It is an old man with a long grey beard and the look of a fanatic who motions to her, then clutches at his chest and collaspes. Linden rushes back to give him medical aid as he suffering from and apparent heart attack and lays dying. She adminsters CPR and finally gives him a shot designed to restart his heart.
"He reminded her of her father, had he lived to be and old man. He looked like he was from another world, his breath was vile and gangrenous." (composite) Now he isn't breathing, completely exhausted and ready to give up Linden looks away, dizzily and when she looks back he is standing, healthy and whole. He helps her to her feet, hugs her and says, "Ah, my daughter, do not fear. However he may assail you. There is also love in the world." His eyes become commandments and as he releases her he utters two last words, "Be true." And he then walks away and vanishes.
It all begins in "Daughter" where we find ourselves back in Anyruraltown USA roughly nine to ten years after Convenant's miraclulous recovery from allergic shock to rattlesnake antivenom. The older Dr. (from TPTP), Julius Berensford, has kept in touch with Thomas Covenant during all these years and has just hired a new female doctor, fresh out of residency, to head up the County Hospital's Outpatient Clinic and Emergency Room. Her name is Linden Avery and though she trained as a Family Practitioner she's probably the best this town could get. She, apparently, has her own reasons for being here too, as she tells Berensford that the town reminds her of her parents and the town she grew up in.
Even the house where the hospital has rented rooms for her reminds her of her parent's house. As she is moving in to her drab new apartment Dr. Berensford shows up to welcome her and we learn that Linden Avery carries alot more (dark, personal) baggage with her than just her possesions. Her father commited suicide when she was eight and her mother died when she was fifteen. She has taken care of herself and put herself though Med School on grim determination since. A consumate loner, obsessed with her own personal issues she had come to this town to die.
Linden is scheduled to begin work at the hospital that Monday, but after Dr. Berensford gets her settled in he says he need to put her to work right away. It's seems he is at a loss of what to do with one of his patients and needs a second opinion. His patient is a leper named Thomas Covenant who lives just outside of town at a place called Haven Farm. Berensford is extremely cryptic as to what exactly is wrong with Mr. Covenant seeing as he has only lost two fingers and his leprosy has stabilized. It's very odd but the older doctor sounds like whatever going on is almost illegal or too much for him to deal with.
Apparently this Covenant guy is a well known author and a stubborn man, with serious issues of his own, and Berensford finally convinces Linden Avery to go out to see him on the pretense of being new to the town and a fan of his work. She's never heard of him but accepts a copy of Covenant's first book, Or I Will Sell My Soul For Guilt, and she agrees to go.
On her way out to the farm she checks out the town for the first time and sees a destitute family dressed in burlap rags standing on the Courthouse steps holding signs that say "Repent". When she first entered her apartment she found a note under her door that said "Jesus Saves" within a red triangle and these signs share that triangle as well. When she asks Berensford about the note he says that this is a very depressed area given to evangelical inclinations. It is a hot humid day in the middle of spring and even the weeds seem to be melting as she drives past the fields on her way out of town.
She finally finds a sign that says Haven Farm and sees a white frame house set off the road against a backdrop of trees. Then as she continues up the driveway she looks in her rearview mirror and suddenly sees a tall robed figure that seems to appear out of nowhere next to the sign. It is an old man with a long grey beard and the look of a fanatic who motions to her, then clutches at his chest and collaspes. Linden rushes back to give him medical aid as he suffering from and apparent heart attack and lays dying. She adminsters CPR and finally gives him a shot designed to restart his heart.
"He reminded her of her father, had he lived to be and old man. He looked like he was from another world, his breath was vile and gangrenous." (composite) Now he isn't breathing, completely exhausted and ready to give up Linden looks away, dizzily and when she looks back he is standing, healthy and whole. He helps her to her feet, hugs her and says, "Ah, my daughter, do not fear. However he may assail you. There is also love in the world." His eyes become commandments and as he releases her he utters two last words, "Be true." And he then walks away and vanishes.