Summary

Pages 219 – 242 The story begins with a description of how Eva Kaplan, in the decades before her death, gained a reputation for being an eclectic and unpredictable art collector, having smuggled works of art both professional and amateur, primarily Russian Jewish art, out of the Soviet Union. Narration describes how, in the aftermath of her death, her middle-aged daughter Wendy anticipated the collection coming to her, and how instead, Wendy and her family are surprised and dismayed to learn that Eva has left everything, worth millions, to charity.

As the family gathers to decide how to handle yet another invitation to yet another memorial, narration describes how everyone seems to be busy – except for Boaz, the husband of Wendy’s daughter Mira who, a few months into her pregnancy, left him. Boaz has, narration describes, become obsessed with Eva: the family assures him that...