Part Two, The Desert, Pages 9-61 , Summary and Analysis

Jeannette was three and cooking hotdogs for herself when her dress caught fire. Jeannette's mother was painting in the next room and came when she heard her daughter's cries. Jeannette's mother had a neighbor take her to the hospital where she would remain for the next six weeks, despite her father's protests. Unable to take it a moment longer, Jeannette's father came one night and stole her from the hospital, against medical advice. Soon after, Jeannette became obsessed with fire and began playing with matches, often catching small things on fire simply to watch the flames.

A few months later, the family packed up in the middle of the night and moved on. This was a common occurrence in the Walls family, as they were often running from the government people...