Summary

In Chapter 8, Sarah recalls that they had decent food and dried meat and fruit for snacks during the workday when she arrived at Real Marvelous. Two weeks have passed and most of the food has ruined. They are eating mostly dried beans with small amounts of rancid pork. One day, a woman walks to camp from the mountain range nearby. Her name is Eva, and she immediately identifies Sarah as being “full of hate” (92). Eva claims to be a prophet. She soon announces there will be a “plague of pests, small pests” (92) and that a witch will cause the plague. Eva says only the pure will escape the coming terrors, prompting some of the women to cut off all their hair. One day, Odette chops off her toe with her coa blade. Eva praises her, saying the action is a step...