91 pages • 3 hours read
Caitlin Alifirenka, Liz Welch, Martin GandaA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
“Caitlin: September 1997”-“Martin: November 1997”
“Caitlin: January 1998”-“Caitlin: May 1998”
“Martin: June 1998”-“Martin: October 1998”
“Caitlin: December 1998”-“Martin: April 1999”
“Caitlin: May 1999”-“Caitlin: June 1999”
“Martin: June 1999”-“Caitlin: December 1999”
“Martin: January 2000”-“Caitlin: February 2000”
“Martin: February 2000”-“Caitlin: September 2000”
“Martin: November 2000”-“Caitlin: December 2000”
“Martin: January 2001”-“Martin: April 2001”
“Caitlin: April 2001”-“Martin: July 2001”
“Caitlin: September 2001”-“Martin: June 2002”
“Caitlin: August 2002”-“Martin: September 2002”
“Caitlin: October 2002”-“Martin: December 2002”
“Caitlin: January 2003”-“Martin: April 2003”
“Caitlin: April 2003”-“Caitlin: July 2003”
“Martin–July 2003”-“Martin–August 14, 2003”
“Caitlin: August 15, 2003”-“Caitlin: October 2015”
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Caitlin has a crush on her classmate, Matt, who eventually asks her out. They date for a short while before Caitlin realizes that they have nothing in common. She eventually breaks up with him. She does not realize that she has not heard from Martin in a while until his letter arrives in the mail. When she opens it, she finds a photograph of him. She notes that he looks young and serious in the photograph. Martin explains in his letter that the photograph was taken several years ago, which is why he looks so young.
Caitlin wants to give Martin a present, so she goes to Spencer’s, a store that sells gag gifts, and gets him a keychain. She sends it to him with her next letter. Eventually, Martin writes back with a longer letter that refers to Caitlin playfully as “the queen” (42). This amuses Caitlin. Martin also expresses gratitude for his gift and promises to send Caitlin “very nice African-type earrings” (44) in his next letter. He further describes his life in Zimbabwe, referring to his country as still politically and economically “developing” (44), which confuses Caitlin. Martin talks about how some people in Zimbabwe sometimes do not earn enough to feed their families and that oftentimes multiple families share a room to make ends meet.