At the end of The Buried Giant, Axl and Beatrice go separate ways. Throughout the novel, both parents struggle with memory loss caused by exposure to the dragon Querig’s mist. Their journey to find their son is also their journey to recover those memories. They alternate between confidence that they will find him and guilt that his leaving was somehow their fault. The situation improves after Querig is killed. Near the book’s end, when the couple meets a kind boatman, Beatrice has a stronger memory that their son lives on an island. The boatman agrees to help them journey to the island. Some of her memories are of things that other people told her, including stories about the island, rather than her own experiences. As they converse with the inquisitive boatman, Axl remembers that their son died of plague. Axl’s answers do not satisfy the boatman, who will only take Beatrice to the island.
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