In Chapter 10, Beka Lamb attends her great-grandmother's funeral. She remembers how, when she was alive, Great Gran Straker had discussed buying a plot of land so that she could tend fruit trees, grow a garden, and train parrots to talk. During her lifetime, Great Gran also taught Beka not to be afraid of nature. However, Beka remembers that she has not always enjoyed all that nature has had to offer. In reality, the hurricanes and the humid, hot air of her country has always put her ill at ease. The abundance of mosquitoes, sandflies, and fireants have also made enjoying nature difficult for Beka.
Although Beka is not necessarily happy that Great Gran Straker is dead, she is at least thankful that her great-grandmother never discovered her failure to pass first form (this is the equivalent of the freshman year of high school in the United States).
With a pang, Beka remembers how proud Great Gran Straker had been when she had entered the convent school. Although Beka feels sad that Great Gran Straker will never see her dreams for her great-granddaughter come true, Beka takes comfort in the fact that her great-grandmother was spared grief and disappointment on her behalf.
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