Summary

Part One, “Flights,” Chapter Eight: New York City, 1995 – 2000. Deo begins his studies at Columbia, which are funded by scholarships, student loans, and gifts from Charlie and Nancy. At times, his ambitions to succeed overwhelm his abilities with English, particularly in literature classes, but with the help of tutors and classmates, he continually makes very good grades. He continues to suffer from intense longings for home, from physical illness, and from flashbacks to the life he left behind: at one point, he sees a psychiatrist, who advises him to seek help from someone more experienced in his particular sort of trauma. Deo refuses, convinced that he can deal with his difficulties himself.

Throughout all this, Deo manages to make contact with his family – at least the ones who have survived the civil war. He learns that his mother and father are both alive, but have...