Summary

This section begins with a chapter set in Botu, told through Aminah’s perspective. Baba still has not returned, and Na has given birth. Aminah helps take care of the baby girl, and the months continue to pass. There is talk of arranging a marriage for Aminah, which she strongly resists. Na supports her daughter’s disinclination to marry. That night, she awakes to the sound of horsemen and the scent of fire. She realizes with a start that Botu is burning down. Aminah, the twins, and Issa make it out of the house on time and in the chaos, they are herded into a line of people driven forward by whips. She looks back at the flaming village and wonders if her mother, grandmother, and the new baby survived.

The next chapter returns to Wurche, who is wracking her mind for a way...