February 25 - October 2 Summary

Before her parents leave for the United States, Rifka's mother gives her the gold locket she always wears, and her father gives her his religious tallis. Rifka goes to Belgium, where she loves her room, but is sad that it is not home. She receives letters from her parents, and is excited that they have indoor plumbing at their new apartment in New York. Her thirteenth birthday comes and goes without anyone noticing. She writes to Tovah about the doll that her cousin gave her for her ninth birthday, which her family eventually sold for food. She describes her treatments to her cousin, which are given to her by a nun who teaches her to scrub her nails and teaches her Flemish, and encourages her to exercise. Every day, Rifka writes to her cousin looking out at the park...