Part 1, Sections 1 and 2 Summary

This novel of speculative fiction tells the story of a young woman's struggle for a sense of self, and for freedom, following the grafting of her identity into the body and mind of a chimpanzee. As Eva struggles to integrate who she was with who she has become, the narrative also explores themes relating to the nature of the relationship between humanity and nature, and the cruelty of scientific experimentation on animals.

"Waking - Day One"

Eva wakes up, slowly and very confused, to the sound of her mother's voice calling to her. As Eva opens her eyes, and as her mother assures her that everything is going to be all right, Eva visits the beach with her parents and their chimps. Meanwhile, her mother explains that the chimps got loose in the car on the return trip home...