58 pages 1 hour read

Louise Penny

The Long Way Home

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

“Then his eyes dropped to the village in the valley below them, as though held in the palm of an ancient hand. A stigmata in the Quebec countryside. Not a wound, but a wonder.”


(Chapter 1, Page 2)

This quotation introduces the village of Three Pines, which functions as a key setting and important symbol in the novel. Three Pines symbolizes a sense of safety and security for Gamache and many other characters. Penny develops that symbolism by describing the village’s geography using the metaphor of a cupped hand, sheltered and safe. Penny also uses the metaphor of stigmata (marks appearing on hands and feet to reflect the traditional wounds inflicted on Jesus during the crucifixion) to introduce the theme that injuries and scars can be sources of power and salvation.

Quotation Mark Icon

“This is my life, my problem, not yours. Do you think every damsel is in distress? Did I just become a problem to be solved? A weakling to be saved?”


(Chapter 4, Page 32)

Clara speaks these words when lashing out at Gamache. She is angry that after she confided in him about Peter’s disappearance, he immediately told others. Clara’s character is revealed in this quotation: she is independent, self-reliant, and likes to be in control. The quotation establishes a tension between Gamache and Clara that will resurface several times during the novel as they argue about who should be in control of the investigation. Clara also highlights the gender dynamic, challenging any notion that Gamache might expect to be in control because he is a man.

Related Titles

By Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

A Fatal Grace

Louise Penny

A Fatal Grace

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

A Great Reckoning

Louise Penny

A Great Reckoning

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

All the Devils are Here

Louise Penny

All the Devils are Here

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

A Rule Against Murder

Louise Penny

A Rule Against Murder

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

A World of Curiosities

Louise Penny

A World of Curiosities

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

Bury Your Dead

Louise Penny

Bury Your Dead

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

How the Light Gets In

Louise Penny

How the Light Gets In

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

State of Terror

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny

State of Terror

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

Still Life

Louise Penny

Still Life

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

The Beautiful Mystery

Louise Penny

The Beautiful Mystery

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

The Brutal Telling

Louise Penny

The Brutal Telling

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

The Cruelest Month

Louise Penny

The Cruelest Month

Louise Penny

Study Guide

logo

The Nature of the Beast

Louise Penny

The Nature of the Beast

Louise Penny