Summary

In Chapter 2, "The Age of My Innocence," every morning Zeidy studies Torah at the synagogue. He comes home late, returning to his office to study more. He is a quiet man, a scholar. Most men in the community are either merchants or scholars, a tradition begun by their founding tribes. Deborah knows Zeidy is also a skilled businessman. She wonders why her grandparents have so much sorrow when they are so devout. Not only is her father unstable, but her cousin was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. Her grandparents were subject to his breakdown. Zeidy often talks about parent–child relationships, believing this is the way parents suffer loss, referencing the Holocaust.

Deborah notes the many ways these memories affect her grandparents; Bubby never throws away any food. Deborah feels she is impacted too, constantly hungry. She believes this hunger is insatiable; it feels...