Her dead mother's hand flew to her mouth in shock

[suprunp]

The talk around the table had turned to numbers and logistics, the impossibility of change. Caroline stood up, trembling. Her dead mother's hand flew to her mouth in shock. Caroline herself could not quite believe it, how her life had changed her, what she had become. But there was no going back. (She waited until everybody was quiet and made a small speech.)
(The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards)

The part in bold puzzles me a lot. I can imagine that if her mother had seen Caroline now she would have been very surprised, actually shocked. But then, I can't understand why the author did not write "Her dead mother's hand would have flown..."

Would you please make some suggestions?

Thanks.

[bhaisahab]

The talk around the table had turned to numbers and logistics, the impossibility of change. Caroline stood up, trembling. Her dead mother's hand flew to her mouth in shock. Caroline herself could not quite believe it, how her life had changed her, what she had become. But there was no going back. (She waited until everybody was quiet and made a small speech.)
(The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards)

The part in bold puzzles me a lot. I can imagine that if her mother had seen Caroline now she would have been very surprised, actually shocked. But then, I can't understand why the author did not write "Her dead mother's hand would have flown..."

Would you please make some suggestions?

Thanks.

Unless there is some previous context to explain it, it looks very odd to me.

[suprunp]

Unless there is some previous context to explain it, it looks very odd to me.

Which (this previous context that I could link this phrase to) I seem to have failed to find so far...

[5jj]

Which (this previous context that I could link this phrase to) I seem to have failed to find so far...

Try here: ???????????-?-?-???????????toefl,?????????????????¶º??? I don't think it helps much. (Despite the strange appearance of that link, it works.)

[suprunp]

Try here: ???????????-?-?-???????????toefl,?????????????????¶º??? I don't think it helps much. (Despite the strange appearance of that link, it works.)

Thank you fivejedjon.
It seems that this website contains some chapters from this lovely book I read, but, I'm afraid (taking into account the writer's style) that if I'm ever going to find the answer I should reread 162 pages preceding this phrase very attentively.

(But it helps to know that it sounds strange to you and, consequently, the answer should be, if at all, somewhere in those 162 pages.)