Contents
Snow
Overview
During a Thanksgiving snow break, Jack distracts himself from tension with August by restoring a found sled and reveling in sledding with his family. Returning to school, Jack and August only exchange a brief greeting, signaling their continued rift and Jack’s hesitation to reconnect despite wanting to share.
Summary
Snow cancels school just before Thanksgiving, giving Jack a welcome break from seeing August after their falling out. Jack delights in the quiet of a snow day and the freedom from school and social strain.
While sledding with Dad and Jamie at Skeleton Hill, Jack spots an old wooden sled. Against Dad’s doubts, Jack salvages it, repairs the slats, reinforces it with duct tape, and paints it white with gold letters, christening it Lightning. Dad acknowledges Jack’s good call.
Jack returns to the hill with Lightning, finding it much faster than their plastic sleds. He and Jamie ride until they are frozen, savoring the thrill. By weekend’s end the snow degrades to slush, mirroring Jack’s mixed mood.
Back at school in rainy, slushy weather, Jack feels emotionally slushy, too. He and August trade a simple “hey” by the lockers. Jack wants to tell August about Lightning but chooses not to, preserving the distance between them despite his impulse to reconnect.
Who Appears
- Jack WillNarrator; finds and restores a sled, enjoys sledding, and keeps his distance from August despite wanting to reconnect.
- DadTakes Jack and Jamie sledding; initially doubts the old sled but later praises Jack’s restoration.
- JamieJack’s sibling; sleds with Jack and shares the excitement of riding Lightning.
- August PullmanClassmate formerly close to Jack; exchanges a brief greeting, highlighting their ongoing estrangement.