How the Light Gets In

The village of Three Pines is the setting for most of the Inspector Gamache series. In How the Light Gets In, it becomes more than a setting—it is the last frontier of innocence and goodness. Contrasting against the corrupted Sûreté headquarters, Three Pines is a place that nurtures and restores: “What Three Pines had wasn’t immunity but a rare ability to heal” (117). Three Pines healed Constance by helping her find peace and community. It serves as a fortress for Gamache and the Brunels. Not only is it a logistically ideal place for them to work because there is no internet or cell reception, but it is also a spiritually ideal place to work. As scenes jump back between the Sûreté and Three Pines, it becomes obvious that the conflict will come to Three Pines: The village has to prove that its quiet, humble way of life can hold up against the violence of Francoeur’s men. 

Three Pines is not just powerful because of the lack of cell reception but the people who make it a refuge. As this small but loyal group of villagers takes on Francoeur’s men, it symbolizes the power of goodness to resist and triumph over evil.