Time of the Child

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child abuse, substance use, and death.

Jude Quinlan’s father, Pat Quinlan, wakes Jude up early on the morning of the Christmas Fair. Jude rushes to get ready despite his mother’s insistence that he take his time. He and his sisters, Mary and Una, eat their breakfast and race outside to help with the cattle.

The narrative shifts into the past. When Jude was little, Pat got drunk and bet his friends that he could throw Jude high into the air. Pat didn’t catch him, and Jude fell onto the concrete and hit his head. The family raced him to Avalon House, and Jude survived despite his injuries. Jude doesn’t remember the incident, but he’s often heard stories about it. In the narrative present, Jude is also aware of Pat’s drinking habit and knows that his father will get drunk at the fair.

Jude tries to focus on rounding up the cattle. He and Mary worry that they’re too wild but succeed at their task. Afterward, the girls head to school, and Jude prepares to bring the cattle into town to sell at the fair with Pat. He races through the fields, loving the feeling of his speed.