Summary

The Children’s section is split into three chapters named after the three children: Joseph, Jacob, and Naila. Each of these chapters is narrated in the third person, except for a concluding page-long reflection by the plural first person narrators after each story.

Joseph’s story starts when he is 16 years old. His father, Lee, has decided to come home to Lusaka to die. After Lee and Thandi’s divorce, Lee spent his time traveling the world with Sylvia, who became known as the Lusaka Patient, going to various medical conferences to discuss a possible HIV vaccine. At Lee’s funeral, Joseph meets Dr. Musadabwe, the doctor who convinced Lee to work with sex workers in Kalingalinga. Joseph then goes to university, where he meets Naila, with whom he begins a sexual and romantic relationship. He only spends two semesters at university...