Sarah and the children travel to Maine by train. During the trip, Anna reads to Sarah from the book she wrote that describes how Sarah first came to them. Maine is as green and refreshing as promised. A man named Chub drives them home, and the children ride in a car for the first time. They spot the sea and are in awe of all the water. Sarah’s aunts—Mattie, Harriet, and Lou—joyfully greet them and shower them with affection and food. The children also meet Aunt Lou’s dog Brutus. Aunt Harriet asks if Jacob is coming, and Sarah sadly says no. Thoughts of home flood Anna, and she cries. In her journal, she writes about Sarah walking by the sea and about Sarah’s joy at being home. Anna is homesick and misses her father.

At first, Caleb isn’t homesick because he enjoys swimming in the sea. Sarah’s brother, William, takes them out on his boat. Caleb wants to see Sarah’s dune, which she slid down as a child. Anna reminds her of when Papa made her a “dune” from hay bales. Anna struggles to enjoy Maine’s beauty because she only thinks of Papa, who is at home alone.