She feels bad about this encounter, on top of which is an awful show that leaves her feeling uneasy as well as frustrated at having given such harsh reviews in general lately. An actor whom she gave a less than stellar review confronts her outside the theatre. After work, Miranda attends a show she must cover for the paper. They all have a lot to say, but none of them manage to share how they really feel about the war and their roles in it. Later, Miranda discusses the war with her work friends Towney and Chuck Rouncivale. They went on their first date yesterday, which was great but she feels like something’s wrong with her body because she can’t stop coughing or sneezing. He moved into her building 10 days ago and they’ve seen each other almost every day since then. She’s been thinking about Adam a lot lately and decides to fantasize about him before getting out of the tub. The story then shifts back to the present, where Miranda is in her bathtub. Mary Townsend (Towney) and Miranda had been agonizing over what to do about not buying bonds, and she left work early to visit the wounded soldiers in the hospital-a task she dreads because it’s phony and forced. She has a headache and remembers what happened earlier that day. The story jumps forward as Miranda is back at home, relaxing in the bathtub. She refuses to buy one and is tempted to reject the war entirely. Two Lusk Committee members confront her about not buying a Liberty Bond to support the war effort. When she wakes up, she realizes that this is 1914 in Europe, where World War I has started and there’s an influenza epidemic going around.ĭuring wartime, Miranda is employed as a drama critic at the newspaper where she works. She’s riding on horseback with the stranger through a war-torn country to escape Death and the Devil. Miranda dreams of a familiar house, bed and stranger. 1-Page Summary of Pale Rider Overall Summary

Pale rider by laura spinney