Wildmoor as Temporary Home

American Woman

This flow follows Jenny’s attempt to make Wildmoor livable and meaningful, and the house’s lasting role as a way station in her fugitive life.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Job in the Country A Job in the Country from "American Woman". A Job in the Country A Chance to Stay Jenny finds an advertisement for work at Wildmoor after arriving in the Rhinebeck area with little money.

A Job in the Country from "American Woman". A Job in the Country A Chance to Stay Jenny finds an advertisement for work at Wildmoor after arriving in the Rhinebeck area with little money.

A Job in the Country A Chance to Stay Jenny finds an advertisement for work at Wildmoor after arriving in the Rhinebeck area with little money. She accepts a position with room and board, choosing a place where she can be useful and relatively unobserved. A Borrowed Identity She calls herself Iris Wong and begins learning the rhythms of Dolly’s house.

Restoring the House Restoring the House from "American Woman". Restoring the House Work as Structure Jenny learns restoration by studying the house and local records, then repairs and paints rooms at Wildmoor.

Restoring the House from "American Woman". Restoring the House Work as Structure Jenny learns restoration by studying the house and local records, then repairs and paints rooms at Wildmoor.

Restoring the House Work as Structure Jenny learns restoration by studying the house and local records, then repairs and paints rooms at Wildmoor. The work offers purpose, but its results remain constrained by Dolly’s money and by the house’s long neglect. A Disputed Past Jenny confronts Dolly with a history of exclusion that the older woman has partly forgotten.

Tea and the House Rules Tea and the House Rules from "American Woman". Tea and the House Rules A Visitor’s Questions Louise Fowler teases Jenny about a man who has asked after her, while Dolly defends her household rules.

Tea and the House Rules from "American Woman". Tea and the House Rules A Visitor’s Questions Louise Fowler teases Jenny about a man who has asked after her, while Dolly defends her household rules.

Tea and the House Rules A Visitor’s Questions Louise Fowler teases Jenny about a man who has asked after her, while Dolly defends her household rules. Jenny denies knowing Rob Frazer, protecting her cover and her place at Wildmoor. Daily Dependency The scene reveals how much Jenny’s shelter depends on a household she cannot fully control.

The Missing Croquet Ball The Missing Croquet Ball from "American Woman". The Missing Croquet Ball A Small Errand Dolly sends Jenny searching for a replacement yellow croquet ball for the annual picnic.

The Missing Croquet Ball from "American Woman". The Missing Croquet Ball A Small Errand Dolly sends Jenny searching for a replacement yellow croquet ball for the annual picnic.

The Missing Croquet Ball A Small Errand Dolly sends Jenny searching for a replacement yellow croquet ball for the annual picnic. The errand draws Jenny into towns she avoids and gives her a practical reason to travel across the region. A Life of Tasks The search exposes the small domestic responsibilities that structure her otherwise precarious life.

A House Left Behind A House Left Behind from "American Woman". A House Left Behind A Final Visit Jenny returns to Wildmoor while escaping with Pauline and negotiates for Dolly’s car.

A House Left Behind from "American Woman". A House Left Behind A Final Visit Jenny returns to Wildmoor while escaping with Pauline and negotiates for Dolly’s car.

A House Left Behind A Final Visit Jenny returns to Wildmoor while escaping with Pauline and negotiates for Dolly’s car. The house has changed from refuge into a place she can visit only by risking discovery. Another Departure She leaves behind her earlier identity as Iris Wong, along with any claim to the home she helped restore.

Late October 1972

Summer and fall 1973

June 1974

Summer 1974

Late summer 1974