Summary

In Chapter 31, “February 2016—Peckham,” when Ba died, Jane came home for the funeral. Although Ba was the closest person Anh lost since “her parents and siblings,” her sorrow over Ba was different (177). Ba’s “was not a cruel death” (177).

Anh had been married to Tom for 27 years. They had three children, Jane, Lily, and Will. Although she had had her own life for many years, she still feared “she hadn’t done enough for her brothers” (178). She tried quelling her guilt by keeping in touch with them. While Thanh had a more stable life than Minh, Anh was sorry they did not have the success stories for which she had hoped.

Anh’s children, however, had more accomplished lives. Anh felt proud of how she had protected and encouraged them. While they “knew where Anh came from,” she “hadn’t told them her...