Summary

1931

The crash and the drought hit the farming community hard. Walter has enough savings and seeds to last another year. Walter walks over to the farm that is abandoned by the Grahams who are forced to leave. The well by the house also is drying up. Frank gets a standing ovation at the Christmas pageant for his solos. Frank hears the word “communist” for the first time at Opa’s funeral. Frank also overhears Eloise’s boyfriend being referred to as a communist. He asks Eloise what communists are. She responds that they are people who see the world as unfair and want to make it fairer.

Walter takes Joey and Frank and drives to Centerville to listen to a congressman named Christian Ramseyer. Eloise marries her boyfriend without inviting anyone to the wedding. Walter refers to Eloise’s husband as that “Red Jew...