Summary

Chapter 18

Pages 265-271: Nikki recovers from the attack in her mother's home. Nikki and Harpreet have their first honest conversation in a long time; Nikki describes how rewarding it was to give the widows a sense of belonging and support through the story workshops, and her mother expresses her sense of helplessness at being kept in the dark. She reasons that she could have protected Nikki from being attacked if she had known what she had been up to, but Nikki explains that the bond she had created with the widows allowed them to come to her aid with the strength they had developed telling their stories, and Kulwinder's opinion of Nikki had transformed from being exposed to the stories. Harpreet finally reveals that Nikki's father did not die angry at her. He said in India that Britain gave his daughters the...