Carrie and Albion marry at the Homeplace and then move to Felco, where Albion goes to work in the coal mines. Albion gets permission from the superintendent to host a weekly Bible study, and on Wednesdays, men fill Carrie and Albion’s house to hear him preach. One night, one of the men brings up unionizing, and soon the Bible study group begins talking about unionizing as well. Carrie is nervous that they will get in trouble, but nothing happens, and the Bible study continues. Though Albion loves their new home, Carrie is bored, and they are poor, making very little money off of Albion’s coal mining. Carrie hears that there is a black doctor in Annadel who needs a nurse, and Carrie decides to take the job, even though some people don’t approve of a white woman working for a black man. Nevertheless, Carrie likes working for Doctor Booker and soon she and Albion are making good money. Through Doctor Booker, Carrie meets C. J., whom she knows is a friend of Rondal’s.

One day, an explosion in the coal mines kills several men, including Clabe and Kerwin. Carrie is furious; she knows that the coal company was aware of the gas buildup in the mines and of the dangerous working conditions.