CHAPTER 73

Summary

• The chapter opens in the Indian town of Parambil, which is flourishing under Joppan's stewardship.
• The local hospital is struggling and Mariamma is frustrated by the lack of support from the hospital board and the bureaucratic delays preventing the hospital from opening.
• Mariamma confides her frustrations to Joppan, who offers to help. He suggests Mariamma stop relying on the board and instead take action herself by ordering necessary supplies and encouraging local people to lobby for the hospital to be opened.
• Mariamma wants to know more about the "Condition", a hereditary disease that runs in her family, and begins to create a vast genealogy to map out who in her family also suffers from it.
• She learns that others outside of her family also suffer from the "Condition", making her realize that all sufferers could be traced back to a common ancestor.
• Mariamma is determined to prevent the "Condition" and treat it more effectively, but realises she needs to set a specific goal date for progress.
• The chapter ends with Mariamma reflecting on the changes in Parambil, the progress she needs to make, and her sense of unity with Joppan and Anna Chedethi.