Nervous Conditions: The Final Chapters

Hey Guys!
I can't believe that "Nervous Conditions" has already come to an end!  In the final chapters of the book, the doors to the past were closed, and the doors to the future were opened.  In chapters 9 and 10, we witnessed Tambu make a huge transition in her education that not only impacted her, but everyone around her.  In the beginning of chapter 9, some nuns from the prestigious Catholic school Sacred Heart come to the mission to recruit some girls for scholarships.  Everyone is a little nervous, because they have had no time to prepare for the test that was given by the nuns.  However, Tambu is is confident because she is ahead of her peers in both general knowledge and ability.  Her natural talents pay off when she is given the scholarship to attend Sacred Heart.  But, not everyone is as thrilled with her acceptance as she is.  Nyasha, Babamukuru, and her mother are all against Tambu going to Sacred Heart, but eventually Babamukuru gives in, and allows her to go.

Tambu cannot wait to begin her new life at Sacred Heart.  Excitement, anticipation, elation, and exultation are all feelings that overwhelm her on the drive to the school.  The campus is like a different world to her.  She is in awe of the beautiful grounds, and striking architectural detail.  Everything seems perfect.  Something, however, seems a little strange to Tambu.  No one offered to carry her bags for her, but they carried the white girls' bags.  Also, she must share a room with the 5 other African American girls at the school, instead of getting her own room like the white girls.  I wondered why the people at the school were treating her like an outsider, when they were the ones that offered her a scholarship.  For the next couple of months while they are apart, Nyasha writes letters to Tambu, updating her on things happening at home.  But Tambu, distracted by her new, exciting life, doesn't pay much attention to them.  When Tambu returns to the mission for a few days while on break, she notices that Nyasha has grown noticeably thinner, and is acting very strange.  She is worried about her cousin, and asks Babamukuru if she can stay a little longer at the mission to look after her.  One night, Nyasha has what seemed like a mental breakdown, and goes crazy!  The family decides to take her to a psychiatrist, who provides her with pills to calm her down help her get better.  Over  the next couple of weeks, Nyasha's condition improves, and Tambu returns to Sacred Heart.  I really enjoyed reading this book, and felt that it made me a much stronger, and overall better reader.

Outside Reading:
Thursday: NC- 48 min
Sunday: NC- 54 min