Book 9: The Family Tree, Chapters 1-3 Summary

In Chapter 1, titled "The sands of Mecca shape a rose," Lily arrives at Rose Lacroix's building in Harlem. After knocking on Rose's door several times, the door finally opens and a slim man stares at her. He allows Lily to come inside and she greets the man as Rose. They embrace and Lily holds Rose as she sobs. Rose says that she wrote Kathleen many times but her unopened letters were returned. When Kathleen did not return after a few months, Rose planned to travel to Cape Breton to find her, but found out from Giles that Kathleen had died of the flu.

In Chapter 2, titled "St. Anthony, Patron Saint of Lost Objects," Mercedes arrives at the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children and meets with Anthony, a six-year-old resident. When he asks...