Summary

In the opening chapter of the novel, Jojo, a 13-year old-boy, describes his attempts to be brave and unafraid of death as he helps his grandfather, Pop, slaughter a goat. He follows his grandfather out of their house, taking care not to slam the door so as not to wake his grandmother, Mam, and his sister, Kayla, who are still sleeping. He is concerned about waking Kayla because she screams on the hour while their mother, Leonie, is out working. His grandmother needs to rest because her cancer has made her frail.

Jojo follows Pop to the woods behind their small house and on to the pens where the animals are kept. Jojo notices that the goats are aggressive and assumes this is so because they are aware of what is about to happen. Jojo follows Pop to their shed. Jojo...