Daily puzzle

Put Soldier's Home back in order

Seven beats from our edition of Soldier's Home by Ernest Hemingway, shuffled. Drag them, or use the arrows, until the story runs straight. No account, no streak to lose.

  1. Late Return Krebs comes back from the war after the hysteria of welcome has passed, and the town has no appetite left for soldiers' stories.
  2. The Lies To be heard he exaggerates his experiences, and the lying produces a nausea that strips even his true memories of meaning.
  3. Watching the Girls He admires the young women on the street but decides they are not worth the consequences, the talking, and the intrigue that involvement demands.
  4. The Kitchen Table His mother confronts him about ambition, telling him other boys his age are settling into work and marriage.
  5. I Don't Love Anybody Pressed about whether he loves her, Krebs answers honestly that he does not love anyone, and his mother begins to cry.
  6. The Retraction Unable to bear her tears, he lies again, telling her he did not mean it, and kneels to pray with her though he feels nothing.
  7. Leaving He resolves to go to Kansas City, wanting only a smooth, uncomplicated life free of the demands of others.