Chapter 29

Old Caleb approaches Natalie at the laundry to warn of a major cold front and announces he will share her bed again. His entitlement and veiled threat reignite Natalie’s rage and fear; she contemplates escape as he implies forces beyond him would stop her. The storm rolls in quickly, compelling everyone to secure animals, wood, and windows.

Inside, hail batters the house while Mary serves bread and butter. The boys role-play violence as Natalie reflects bitterly on frontier myths and women’s captivity. Later, with the door left open for warmth, Old Caleb undresses and takes her without asking. Natalie, dry and frightened, says “I love you” to placate him.

The sex is painful and controlling until a sudden shift tips her pain into involuntary pleasure. She clings to prayer throughout, then lies awake afterward, shaken, while Old Caleb sleeps.

In the kitchen’s dim light, Natalie experiences a hard clarity: she is under divine surveillance and interprets her situation as a test. She prays, then manually removes semen to avoid pregnancy. She makes two vows—to remember the Lord’s message and to prevent conception—accepting survival on these terms while a heavy snow piles up outside.