Chapter 15 and 16 Summary

A woman named Marya Nikolayevna shows up at the baracholka now and all heads turn when she arrives. An escapee of the German invasion at Leningrad, her husband is a high officer in the army and she is well connected and rich. Esther goes to the baracholka with the express intention of offering her knitting services to her. Initially rejected, the woman finds a bad skirt and asks if she could make something out of it. Esther is thrilled. She takes the woman's measurements twice and runs home to start working.

She washes the skirt and miraculously, a beautiful red shows through. Then she starts to tear out the fabric so she can re-knit a beautiful sweater. She works hard at the sweater and finally sends her grandmother to tell Marya that the sweater is ready. Marya says she will stop...