The Campbells are more at home in the Old Village, but their life is challenging. Patricia struggles to balance parenting 14-year-old Korey, caring for Miss Mary (whose dementia has progressed), and comforting Blue, who has trouble understanding the reason behind Miss Mary’s outbursts and is scared to sit at the table with her. Patricia’s friends introduce her to Mrs. Ursula Greene, a strong Black woman who becomes Miss Mary’s caregiver.

We learn more about members of the book club. Maryellen is married to Ed, who works for the North Charleston police. A transplant to the South, Maryellen has adopted Southern habits like prying into her neighbors’ business under the guise of sharing food: When someone new comes to town, Maryellen will “bake them a pie and take it over” to learn “where they’re from, what their husband does for a living, and how many people live in their home” (45). Grace is similarly nosy; she writes down the license plates of unusual cars. Recently, Grace noticed a white van with tinted windows parked outside old Mrs. Savage’s house, which now belongs to Mrs. Savage’s great nephew.