Summary

Although written entirely in present tense, the narrative structure is inspired by first person narrator Jas Mulder's childlike associative consciousness and past recollections.

In Part I, Chapter 1, ten-year-old Jas has stopped taking off her red coat. Two days before Christmas, she and her siblings, Matthies, Obbe, and Hanna, have breakfast with Mum and Dad. The table is full of food Mum made. Rocking in her chair, Jas rationalizes her parents’ words with Biblical references and math solutions. Jas is excited to go skating, having practiced for weeks. When Matthies leaves for the skating competition on the other side, Jas is not allowed to go.

In Chapter 2, as members of the Reformed church, Jas feels she and her siblings are not allowed to do anything, including watching shows with nudity and visiting the other side. Dad says they cannot watch...