Summary

In Chapter 7, an elderly Muslim cleric arrives at Nargis’s home. He says that the high clerics wish for the man to face trial in Pakistan, and thus Nargis should not forgive the American man. Later, as Nargis sits alone in her home, she thinks about her past. She was born Christian, and her real name is Margaret. She began pretending to be Muslim at the age of 14. She found that doing so freed her from the oppressions faced by Pakistani Christians. She had never told Massud the truth about her identity. The government agent arrives again while she is reading Massud’s father’s book. He says that the government will give Nargis one million dollars if she publicly forgives the American man. When Nargis refuses, the man uses a knife to cut parts of the book. He then beats Nargis until she...