Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis

Vera and Betty are assigned to duty in Malta. They sail on the Britannic on September 23, 1916. Vera is happy to be leaving because she has come to hate Camberwell. She worries quietly about German submarines during the voyage. She does not find out until later that the ship is actually chased by an enemy submarine.

Vera likes Malta, even though she and most of the others are sick from food poisoning when they arrive. She and Betty work at St. George's Hospital. There is a long delay in the mail and Vera worries about her friends and relatives since there are now bombing raids in England. Both Victor and Geoffrey are not fighting in France. She and Betty grow apart as Betty becomes a part of the tennis set and social scene while Vera prefers more solitary activities.

The hospital at...