Summary

In Chapter 7, the mothers are taught how to speak to their children and how to hold them. Frida gets scolded for holding onto Emmanuelle for too long. The next morning, a rumor circulates around the bathroom that Helen is quitting rehab. When Frida tells the other mothers to give Helen privacy, they call her names. They continue to gossip about Helen over breakfast. Only Frida knows how terrified Helen is of her male teenage doll. That afternoon, Helen is picked up by her niece. She raises a fist in farewell to the other mothers.

The mothers practice giving their dolls hugs. The instructors slap the dolls in order to make them feel distressed, horrifying the mothers. At dinner, Frida and her classmates debate which tools are most effective for soothing their dolls.

The school’s employees light the dining hall with candles for...