Juliet reports on her research on the Channel Islands to Sidney and Piers. She finds an account written by Cee Cee Meredith and a co-author, Dorothea, who describes the history of Guernsey, noting that Guernsey has the special privilege of a personal ruling body, which the English monarchy does not appoint.

When Dawsey receives his new book about Charles Lamb, he immediately reads it and relates his thoughts to Juliet. He explains how Lamb’s life seems to be one of incomprehensible hardship. Lamb had a sister who struggled with mental illness; she stabbed both their parents, killing their mother and wounding their father. He notes how resilient Lamb’s sympathy is for his sister and how, despite the hardships of her illness, there remained a kinship between them. Juliet’s response, in turn, echoes his sympathy for the Lamb siblings and comments that Charles’s power was to make friends with anyone and anything.

Isola believes that now that she and Juliet are acquainted, she can ask highly personal questions of her new friend. Juliet answers all of her questions about her appearance. She describes her new living arrangements and how she lost most of her possessions when her old flat by the Thames was destroyed during the London bombings.