Chapter 2 Summary

Sookan's family finds out that Haiwon's sixteenth birthday is coming up and they decide that they want to throw her a surprise party to show her how much she means to them. Mother volunteers to make the journey to Theresa's convent, in hopes of obtaining a nice birthday gift for Haiwon, and also to hear any news of the war that the nuns might have heard on the radio they keep hidden in the basement. Because traveling is forbidden, Mother must take only back roads, leaving as soon as Captain Narita has done his daily inspection. Mother is Catholic, and proud of Theresa, and she gets a little bit of rice from the nuns, as well as a pretty illustrated religious book for Haiwon. Sookan and Inchun enjoy looking at the little book and make their own copy before wrapping it in their...