Summary

In Book 3, “Zone Eight,” Part 1, “Autumn 2093,” Charlie took the shuttle between work and home every day. When she returned home, she used the rations to make dinner. Over dinner, she and her husband barely talked. Charlie recalled all Grandfather had told her about being married. She tried to ask the right questions.

The following day, officers searched Charlie and her husband’s home, believing they had committed “crimes against the state,” “trafficking crimes,” and “crimes of information” (369). They found no evidence. The search made Charlie feel uneasy. She missed Grandfather, wondering what he would say “if he were here” (371).

Charlie and her husband lived in Zone Eight, known to be the cleanest and safest zone. Charlie liked living here because “very little changed in Zone Eight” (373). On the shuttle to work, she sat near the window. The zones were interspersed with other...