Part I: Section 23 Summary

Nadi had gone shopping with Soraya and wants to show Behrani her purchases, assuring him she hadn't spent much money-everything was on sale-and kissing him. Behrani realizes that the only way she can remain happy like this is if he doesn't burden her with their financial problems. Later, sitting on the roof drinking strong tea while Nadi is below washing dishes, he thinks he must do something about "this Kathy Nicolo."

He remembers his cousin Jasmeen, who had an affair with an American oil executive. When the news of this reached her father and brothers (it was known by the village women a month before) they beat and then killed her in the public market in Tabriz. Behrani hated his uncle for this, for his is a family of educated people without need of behaving like peasants or resolving...