Jacob Have I Loved Chapter 16 Summary

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected to a fourth term in 1944, but then he dies in office the following April. No one on Rass Island voted for him, but they're all shocked regardless.
  • A few days later, Louise gets a telegram from Call: he wants to know what she thinks St. Peter said to Roosevelt. This is a reference to a joke she told him back when they were kids, so it looks like the Navy must have finally given Call a sense of humor.
  • The war ends soon after, and Caroline gets accepted to the Juilliard School in New York City.
  • Grandma is in fine form. She becomes convinced that Louise's mom is a harlot who stole away her husband, and she spends her days quoting vicious Bible verses at them all.
  • Louise's father suggests that Louise might not want to hang around Rass Island for the rest of her life catching crabs and oysters. Besides, when Call comes home, he can help with all that.
  • It's the end of the crab season when Call finally does return. Louise is thrilled to see him. He looks so different—he's a man now. Hubba hubba.
  • Back at home, Louise washes up and puts on her best dress so she and Call can go see the Captain. They exchange stories at the Captain's house, but Louise can tell something bad is about to happen.
  • That's when Call drops his bombshell: he and Caroline are getting married. Ouch.
  • Louise is infuriated, and she says that Caroline is too young, and she can't give up her singing.
  • Of course, Call doesn't expect Caroline to give up anything for him—he loves her and wants to help her.
  • Call tells Louise it must be hard for her to believe that someone like Caroline could be in love with someone like him since Louise never thought he was much to look at. Oh, snap, Call.
  • Louise can't take it anymore, and she rushes out of the house and away from yet another moment in which Caroline has stolen her happiness.