One Summer in Savannah: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child death, illness, and rape.

Sara takes Hosea to his doctor’s appointment. On the way home, he expresses to her that he’s made his peace with his death, and she begins to try to accept it as well. When they get home, Jacob has arrived. Sara realizes that Hosea has crafted a special greeting for him, as Hosea has done with all his family members. After Alana and Jacob are settled at the kitchen table, Sylvia keeps entering and exiting the room. When Sara asks her why, she explains in private that she’s demonstrating Jacob’s genuine politeness—he stood every time she entered the room. Sylvia uses this experiment to argue that Sara needs to move beyond her past and begin to trust Jacob. Sylvia also points out that Jacob is an attractive man, which Sara balks at with humor.

Jacob goes to the doctor to receive a second injection of growth hormone to stimulate his bone marrow. He’s aware of the potential flu-like side effects, but the first injection didn’t result in any. He arrives at his tutoring session with Alana, and she asks about her grandmother.