Margaret's birth instills new life into the family: the whole family falls in love with her, Malachy Sr most of all. He stops drinking and finds steady work to support the family. Due to her parents' ignorance of childhood disease, Margaret lives for only seven weeks. With her death, Malachy Sr goes on an alcoholic binge, while Angela suffers severe depression. Frank, age four, feeds and cares for his younger siblings, until the neighbors help out. The neighbors contact Angela's cousins, who in turn recommend the family return to Ireland. Angela is pregnant as they return to Ireland from America, though she loses the child shortly after moving to Limerick.