The Fullers move to Malawi, choosing the longer, safer route to avoid crossing war-torn Mozambique. They settle on a poorly managed tobacco farm owned by the Malawian government, where even their correspondence is constantly monitored.

The harsh Malawian government limits its citizens’ freedoms and responds to dissent with severe consequences, including mysterious deaths and disappearances. Vanessa, now 16, attends a liberal private school in Malawi, while 13-year-old Alexandra remains in a strict boarding school in Zimbabwe. When Alexandra visits Malawi at the end of her school term, she experiences the stringent customs procedures firsthand as customs officials thoroughly inspect her belongings.

The Fullers settle in a swampy area near a lake. Their home is spacious but worn-out, surrounded by a bustling garden. Life on the farm demands hard work, with the family feeling the tensions of racial dynamics in Malawi, where foreigners face potential deportation.

During an outing, Alexandra unintentionally harms a local child with her motorbike. Remorseful, she joins the family for a meal, where she witnesses severe poverty firsthand. After the incident, Alexandra gifts locals her old clothes, but her mother underscores the futility of her gesture, citing the unavoidable nature of hardships in their country.