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Arrival at Congo
The Price family leaves America and arrives at the Congo. -
Ruth May Teaches "Mother May I"
Ruth May teaches the children of the Congo "Mother May I" and, to everyone's surprise, begins to form friendships with the children. -
Adah's Close Death
Adah is in the jungle alone, walking back to the village but little does she know that there is a lion stalking her. By fate, the lion eats a buckbush instead and leaves Adah untouched. With Adah still gone, the Price family believes her to be dead due to news they just heard from Tata Ndu. -
Lumumba Wins Election
Lumumba won the election and is appointed the Prime Minister. -
Reverend Fowles Visits the Price Family
The Fowles family travel to the village by boat and give gifts to the Price family. They also give food and medicine to the villagers. Mr. Price and Mr. Fowles argue about their two views of the Bible and Christians. -
The Ant Attack
Thousands of ants come into the village due to an extreme drought and eat everything in their way. The Price family and the rest of the villagers run to the river and try to Ross over on boats in an attempt to save their lives. This is when Orleanna chooses Ruth May over Adah and their relationship is never really mended.
"This awful night is the worst we've ever known: the nsongonya. They came on us like a nightmare." -Leah, page 299. -
Voting for Religion in the Village
While Nathan is preaching, Tata Ndu interrupts and tells the people that they are going to take a vote on whether or not to have Jesus in their religion or keep their old ways. Jesus loses 11 to 56. -
Lumumba is Dismissed From Office
Due to this event, the country became split. -
Lumumba is Captured
Lumumba tried to escape but soon Mobutu troops caught up with him and captured him. "The army recaptured Lumumba less than fifty miles from our village." -Orleanna, pg. 322 -
Village Famine
The famine in the Congo is becoming extreme and the villagers, including the Prices, are running out of things to eat. Tata Ndu decides to have the whole village come out for a village hunt to secure food. -
Leah Disobeys Her Father's Wishes
Before the village hunt, the people have a vote on whether or not Leah should be allowed to hunt with the men. She wins, but her father and some of the villagers are not too happy. Leah gets her first game that evening.
"I killed my first game, a beautiful tawny beast with curved horns and a black diagonal stripe across his flank: a young male Impala." -Leah, pg. 348 -
Ruth May's Death
A green mamba snake attacks Ruth May by the chicken coop early in the morning right above the heart, killing her shortly after. "I only remember hearing a gulp and a sob and a scream all at once, the strangest cry, like a baby taking its first breath." -Leah, pg. 363 -
Lumumba is Killed
Lumumba is killed by the permission of the U.S. the United States wanted him dead so they could have the copper and diamond mines in Katanga. -
The Price Family Decides to Leave the Congo
After the death of their youngest family member, Orleanna decides to stand up for herself and to leave the Congo with her last three daughters.
"We only took what we could carry on our backs." -Leah, pg. 389 -
Leag Gets Sick
From all the traveling out of the Congo, Leah gets malaria and has many hallucinations.
"My father came only once, with blue flames curling from his eyebrows and tounge: many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." - Leah, pg. 395 -
Orleanna and Adah Go Home
Orleanna and Adah head back to America while leaving a very sick Leah in the Congo with Anatole to watch over her.
"I can't say how many weeks we were here before Mother left, or how many have passed since." -Leah, pg. 396 -
Adah's Return
Adah returns to the United States with great shock. It's hard for her to adjust back to the comfortable lifestyle of America. During this time, she also attends college and contributes great work in the field of science, which is her newfound religion.
"It is impossible to describe the shock of return. I recall that I stood for the longest time staring at a neatly painted yellow line on a neatly formed cement curb." -Adah, pg. 411 -
Mobutu Becomes the Dictator
The CIA helped Mobutu gain control of the whole country and a dictatorship. -
Adah Loses Her Limp
During medical school, Adah meets a neurologist who believes her disability to be no more than just a learned trait over time. Adah decides to see if he's right, and begins his system of treatment. With time, not only does she lose her limp, but also a part of herself.
"I am losing my slant." -Adah, pg. 439. -
The Equatorial
After her third husband, Rachel decides the stop believing in fairy tales and starts to live for herself. She builds up her hotel and takes a lot of pride in it.
"The Equatorial is now the nicest hotel for businessmen along the whole northern route from Brazzaville to Owando." -Rachel, pg. 461
