Chapter 39: Dear Sirs
Summary
- Miss Frask, a very fast typist, is attempting to break the world record for typing speed.
- She is interrupted by a child, Mad, who engages her in conversation about her typing speed and indirectly, about Stella Pajunas, a famous typist.
- Miss Frask recognizes the child as Mad Evans, daughter of her former colleagues at Hastings.
- Frask and Mad discuss Frask's past with Mad's parents, both chemists at Hastings.
- Frask reveals to Mad that her mother was fired from Hastings because she was pregnant with Mad.
- Mad is upset by the revelation and questions the adult tendency to distort the truth.
- Frask reassures Mad that what happened at Hastings wasn't her fault and tries to paint Mad's birth as a positive turning point for her mother.
- Mad asks Frask to deliver a private envelope to Wakely, but Frask opens it and discovers Roth's article on Elizabeth Zott.
- Frask writes a heated letter to Life magazine, refuting its cover story on Elizabeth Zott and exposing Dr. Donatti's wrongdoings at Hastings.
- Despite her belief it wouldn't be published, Frask's letter appears in the next issue of Life magazine.
- Elizabeth Zott, who is struggling with the aftermath of Life's cover story on her, is uninterested in the letters of support and the unpublished work of Roth shared by her colleague Harriet.
- Harriet is worried about Elizabeth's depression and notices the impact on her work environment.
- Mad shares her concern for her mother's wellbeing with Harriet, who is not sure whether Elizabeth will recover.
- Harriet, who encouraged Elizabeth to do the Life interview, blames herself for Elizabeth's current state.
- As Harriet contemplates how no one seems interested in women in science, she begins to hatch an idea.