Summary

Asher misses his father once he’s gone, and he and his mother receive Aryeh’s letters from many of Europe’s cities, including Geneva, Zurich, Paris, Budapest, and Vienna. Asher recalls childhood conversations with his father, including one in which he learned that Aryeh had no interest in reading the arts or sports sections of The New York Times, only the news section. For the first time, Asher begins drawing his father, as a way to remember and understand him.

During Aryeh’s absence, Asher and his mother grow close again. She tells him about her dead brother, Yaakov, and Asher watches as she works on getting her master’s degree. She moves a small table into the living room as a desk, as well as shelves for her books. Asher draws constantly during his father’s absence, often pictures of his mother. One...