Part 13 Summary

Shortly before celebrating his first birthday, Sam takes his first steps. Anne is overjoyed. On his birthday, she reminisces about the days and hours leading up to his birth. She recalls going out to breakfast with Pammy while waiting to be admitted to the hospital and driving to another hospital because the one where she was to deliver Sam was overcrowded. She remembers moments immediately following Sam's birth and her wishes for him on the night of his birth: that he will be compassionate; that he will work for peace, justice and mercy; and most importantly, that he will outlive her. Finally, she hopes that her son will grow up believing in God.

Part 13 Analysis

Anne concludes her journal in much the same way that it began, by describing Sam's birth. It is clear from her prose that even a full year later...