Mewshaw’s vision has more compassion and natural grace; though Catholic, he is not as morbidly Catholic as Greene was. Paul pays Blessed under the table in cash more than the usual amount to salve his conscience for playing it safe. After Blessed is ensconced in a supply closet in his new home, an artist from New York City, Simone Pierce, arrives to stay at the art colony. Of course, if Paul doesn’t agree, Spann can make things difficult for him, since the bookkeeping at the art colony leaves something to be desired. His novel becomes a microcosm of our fallen world, and the only way out is through: hard choices and love willing to sacrifice privilege.