Chapters 19 and 20 Summary

How It Came to Pass. Marigold goes to visit yet another set of relatives, the rigidly religious Uncle Jarvis (see "Quotes", p. 294) and generous Aunt Marcia.

Aunt Marcia hopes that Marigold will make friends with nearby farm girl Babe, who reacts jealously when Marigold finds a kindred spirit in Bernice, "the first real friend she had ever had - the first real rival to Sylvia" (see also "Quotes", p. 296).

One night, Aunt Marcia not only lets Marigold sleep in the hayloft, but also lets her have Bernice to stay. As Marigold prepares to say her prayers, she is shocked to discover that Bernice doesn't believe in God. If there was a God, she says, he wouldn't have let her parents and her kitten die, he wouldn't have made her ugly, and he wouldn't be about to let Marigold disappear from her...