Cover of Hollow Bones

Hollow Bones

by Jodi Picoult


Genre
Fiction, Contemporary, Historical Fiction
Pages
465
Contents

Part Two: Eloise — Chapter 6

Overview

Georgia encounters Kai at a public event and discovers he has a wife and children, forcing her to accept their final separation. Soon after, she sees Molly’s pregnancy announcement and panics about postpartum psychosis risk. Determined to safeguard Molly, Georgia secretly mobilizes: engaging a PI, planning a move north, and seeking an inside track at Molly’s OB practice.

Summary

Over the Fourth of July in 2026, Georgia celebrates with Mercedes, David, and their son Victor at Stone Mountain, where Mercedes privately shares she is twelve weeks pregnant after past miscarriages. At a police exhibit, Georgia unexpectedly encounters Kai, who is there with his wife, Claire, a toddler, and a baby. Realizing Kai has built a new family, Georgia ends the interaction quickly and walks away, choosing not to reopen old wounds.

Later, Georgia sees a repost on Molly’s Instagram Story: an ultrasound image shared by Jesse announcing Molly’s pregnancy. Awe gives way to alarm as Georgia recalls the elevated risk of postpartum psychosis, especially with her own bipolar history and past PPP. She resolves to act to prevent Molly from suffering similarly.

Georgia visits private investigator Fenimore Hurlihy, asking him to discreetly identify Molly’s obstetrician’s name and office, despite HIPAA concerns. Deciding she must be physically nearby to monitor and support Molly, she plans to move north without revealing her identity.

At work, Georgia tells Dr. Carlsson she must relocate for “family stuff” and asks for help obtaining a position with Dr. Mantillard, an ob‑gyn in Providence connected through medical networks. Dr. Carlsson agrees to put in a good word, enabling Georgia’s plan to quietly embed near Molly’s care and protect her through pregnancy and postpartum.

Who Appears

  • Georgia (formerly Eloise)
    Protagonist; sees Kai with his family, then learns Molly is pregnant and secretly plans to move north to protect her.
  • Mercedes
    Georgia’s close friend; announces a twelve-week pregnancy at Stone Mountain and supports Georgia after the Kai encounter.
  • Kai
    Georgia’s former partner; encountered on duty with his wife and children, confirming their permanent separation.
  • Molly
    Georgia’s estranged daughter; announces pregnancy on Instagram, triggering Georgia’s fear of postpartum psychosis risk.
  • Fenimore Hurlihy
    Private investigator; agrees to discreetly find Molly’s obstetrician’s identity and office.
  • Dr. Carlsson
    Georgia’s employer; agrees to recommend Georgia to a Providence ob-gyn to facilitate her move.
  • Claire
    Kai’s wife; present with their baby and a young girl, underscoring Kai’s new family.
  • Victor
    Mercedes’s young son; accompanies them at Stone Mountain, drawing them to the police exhibit.
  • David
    Mercedes’s husband; runs the Peachtree Road Race and plans to join the family after.
  • Jesse
    Molly’s husband; posts the ultrasound announcing the pregnancy.
  • Dr. Mantillard
    Providence obstetrician; Georgia targets her practice for employment to be near Molly’s care.
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