How did "Cherry" by Rainbow Rowell end? Have you finished reading "Cherry" and desperately need to discuss it? Or maybe you've read it, but can't remember how "Cherry" ends, or do you want to skip ahead to discover all the spoilers? Need a refresher on "Cherry" before heading off to book club tonight? Keep reading to discuss this fiction novel and all the spoilers at the end!
Cherry and Tom prepare for Christmas together
Most of what we have seen from Cherry and Tom are either flashbacks at how they met or interactions that are tense as Tom and Cherry divide up their household belongings. We flash to present day and Tom sees that Cherry is struggling to make it through a long list of Christmas food and deserts because they had typically made them together in the past. Tom assists Cherry and we see the bond and wonderful partnership they have. They work well together and compliment each other as a team.
Cherry invites Tom to join her at her family Christmas gathering
After they are done working on the food and deserts, Cherry invites Tom to join her at the family Christmas gathering. At first, Tom is hesitant but Cherry insists and it becomes clear that Tom would've been alone on Christmas otherwise, but also that he is excited to go. They have a great time together at the gathering. Tom enjoys spending time with the cousins and joining in on their yearly traditions. Tom gives Cherry a thrifted antique Disney bracelet for Christmas. Cherry and Tom then have sex after the Christmas party
Flashback shows the downfall of Cherry and Tom
"Cherry, I want to come home."
After Cherry and Tom have sex, the book flashes back to when Tom spends extended periods of time in Los Angeles. Cherry and Tom's relationship becomes strained as Tom bids for Cherry's time and attention and Cherry struggles to hold boundaries regarding what is expected of her. As the distance between them grows, Tom's assistant Rachel seems to step in as an emotional affair, and perhaps more.
Cherry suspects that Tom is cheating on her
Cherry calls Tom after a late meeting and finds out that Rachel is still with him late into the night. Later, Tom confirms that their relationship is inapporpraite and that while they have not had sex, Rachel did try to kiss him.
"She was incoherent with rage. Tom was incoherent with fear."
Cherry stops answering Tom's calls and then eventually Tom stops trying to reach out. A month after Tom stopped trying to reach out, Cherry told him that she wanted a divorce.
Cherry and Tom have a fight
Cherry and Tom begin talking about the idea of reuniting and things fall back apart very quickly. There are clearly still a lot of unresolved issue around why they are separated and what needs to be changed so that they can get back together. As the fight escalates, Cherry tells Tom that reuniting was a mistake and asks Tom to leave.
Cherry flashes back to other relationships
For several chapters, Cherry flashes back to other relationships where we see her struggle to feel wanted.
Cherry and her sister, Hope, finally address their feelings
Cherry goes to her mom's house to help her mother go shopping. There is a miscommunication because Cherry sent a text on the group thread, but it was not the one that included Hope. Hope shows up to help as well, not expecting Cherry to be there. Their mom insists that both the girls join her on the shopping trip.
During the shopping trip Hope tells Cherry that she knows about the group text that she is not included on. This launches them into a discussion of why Hope did not discuss with her sisters her decision to take drugs to help her lose weight.
"This is about me Cherry. My body. My life."
Hope reveals that she took the drugs for several reasons, many of them related to her overall health but also because she was tired of being overweight. Cherry explains why the decisions Hope made felt hurtful to her and her sisters.
Hope and Cherry continue to commiserate about the situation and come to an understanding based around the importance of their family and friendship.
Cherry and Tom reconnect and recommit to their marriage
Cherry visits Tom's father's house. We learn more about Tom's father and see him in action. He's an alcoholic with an angry and cruel sense of humor. Tom quickly comes to Cherry's aid and they go to restaurant to hash things out. Cherry explains to Tom how she has been feeling. Tom admits to having sex once with his publicist, but only after Cherry asked for a divorce. Although Cherry has suspected this to be true, it was still an incredibly difficult thing to bear.
"I want to be on the other side of it - I think I wanted you to pull me through it somehow, with your bare hands. I wanted you to come home and bang down the door."
They decide together to commit to each other and their marriage.
Cherry is with Tom for the premiere of his movie, "Thursday"
Cherry travels to Los Angeles to be with Tom for the premiere that he swore he would not attend. In one of the closing scenes we see Cherry be addressed at the premiere as the character, Baby. Tom quickly corrects the interviewing saying -
"Baby is a fictional character...She's two dimensional- she's a shadow on a cave wall. My wife is infinite. If there are things you like about Baby I probably stole them from her. But I could never fit everything she is, and everything she means to me, into a panel."
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