The Way the World Is

After the devastating trauma she suffered in Olivia, Mourning and finally knowing the reality with which she must contend, Olivia strives to rebuild herself—emotionally, socially, and financially.

She seeks a new life in Detroit, the young and exciting city on a river, where she has come to feel at home. New friends help the healing process, while she continues to search for the two people she loves, who have disappeared from her life. She finds some solace in helping fugitive slaves escape over the river to Canada. She believes, as one of her new friends says, "In this time and place it is the most worthy thing a person can do.”