Evelina remembers the day that her mooshum (a Native American word for grandfather), Seraph Milk, told her and her brother Joseph the story of the plague of doves and how he met their grandmother, Junesse. Years before, Seraph’s elder half-brother, Father Severine, gathers his parishioners to pray away the thousands of doves that have descended upon their town. The priest gives Seraph a candelabra and white vestments to wear in the procession. As the women march, the birds collect beneath them, so they tie up their skirts, causing a curious Seraph to lag behind so he can catch a peek of the women’s legs. He lowers the candelabra and is knocked to the ground when struck in the face with a bird. When he looks up, he sees Junesse in white above him, whom he mistakes for the Holy Spirit.

Evelina states that “Our family has maintained something of a historical reputation for deathless romantic encounters” (8). She reflects on how her father made it through WWII with one glance from her mother and how love afflicts her kin on both sides.

The Million Names

In grade school, Evelina draws the name of her crush, Corwin Peace, on her body, believing that if she does it a million times, he’ll fall in love with her.