Winter Summary

Claudia describes her father's face in winter, "his eyes a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche and his jaw like the edges of a snowbound field dotted with stubble." The family seems to be frozen in place in by his lessons on how to tend the fire in every possible situation. The family is just trying to make it to spring.

The cold monotony of winter is broken with the appearance of Maureen Peal. She is a pretty, high-yellow girl new to their school. Her clothes are exquisite and she is obviously as rich as some of the white girls. The whole school is smitten by her. The teachers adore her and the boys don't even consider throwing rocks at her. Claudia and Frieda have not developed an opinion of her yet but they have taken to calling her Meringue Pie behind her...