During a late June heatwave, Warden Sanders summons Cussy to her office. Cussy fears she will be fired from her library post for having too few patrons. The warden, however, reviews reports praising Cussy’s work. Inmate Odette’s seizures have ceased since she began reading poetry, and the women in the Geriatric ward have also benefited from the books. The warden promotes Cussy to full-time prison librarian with a raise, then separately slides over two letters—one from her lawyer and one from Honey. Her new duties include teaching literacy and expanding her services to the Forensic and Geriatric wards. The warden warns her against providing “excitement books” that could “poison the mind.” She also informs Cussy that a planned collaboration with the men’s prison is on hold. 

The warden presents a crate of donated books from the men’s prison. Inside, Cussy discovers the volume of Yeats poems Jackson had given her as a wedding gift—the same collection she had carried at the men’s prison while hoping to see him. Inside, she finds a secret inscription from him, vowing never to give up on them. As Cussy leaves, the warden reveals the reason for the men’s prison lockdown: a deadly polio outbreak. Terrified for Jackson, Cussy nearly faints.

Waldeen offers Cussy a bowl of strawberries to celebrate her promotion, but Cussy is focused on her letter from Honey. In it, Honey describes a disastrous picnic date with a boy named Francis, ruined by the jealous antics of her mule, Junia. After reading the letter, the sight of the strawberries makes Cussy nauseous, and she runs to the washroom to be sick. Waldeen follows and correctly guesses that Cussy is pregnant. Cussy initially denies it, believing she was sterilized upon her arrival, but Waldeen explains the procedure never happened. 

Realizing she is about 14 weeks along, Cussy becomes determined to contact Jackson, believing he can get legal help. Waldeen warns that the prison will force an abortion if they find out but reluctantly provides a stamp, cautioning Cussy about the risk. Cussy writes the letter, signing it with a drawing of a bluet damselfly—the nickname Doc gave her at birth. Only Jackson and Doc would realize the letter was from her.

When Cussy goes to mail her letter, she discovers Regina has broken into her footlocker. Regina taunts Cussy with the intercepted letter about her pregnancy and reveals she has torn up Honey’s letter. Enraged and heartbroken, Cussy opens her copy of The Little Sister, retrieves the sharpened toothbrush hidden inside, and attacks Regina. A guard intervenes and sends both women to solitary confinement. 

Warden Sanders confronts Cussy with the letter and, upon confirming the pregnancy, announces she has scheduled an abortion. When Cussy pleads that she wants to keep the baby, the warden threatens a lobotomy and has her taken away. In solitary, Cussy begs Waldeen to contact her physician, Doc Thomas, for help, and Waldeen agrees. The next day, an inmate confirms that Waldeen made the call, giving Cussy a sliver of hope.

After four days in solitary, Waldeen reports that Doc Thomas came to the prison but was denied entry. The warden lied to him, claiming the abortion was already done. Waldeen also informs Cussy that the women in the Geriatric and Forensic wards are on a hunger strike to protest her punishment. 

In the neighboring cell, Regina confesses to Cussy that she was traumatized by two forced abortions and sterilization at a previous prison. Seeing that Cussy had a loving family, a baby, and the librarian job she coveted, Regina lashed out. 

The next day, Cussy is devastated to overhear guards discussing the suicide of Daniel in the men’s prison. They state that Daniel hung himself after receiving a “Dear John letter” (120). She also learns that Marigold died during the hunger strike. Feeling what might be the baby’s first flutter, Cussy’s resolve hardens. She begins cooperating with the guards, offering book recommendations to calm the striking inmates. 

After a week, Warden Sanders releases Cussy, citing the library’s importance, and gives her an opened letter from Honey. Cussy resolves to convince the warden to let her keep the baby.

On the Fourth of July, the warden summons Cussy. On her way, she sees Sassyann being led from Death Row away in shackles. Sassyann thanks Cussy for helping her reconnect with her sons. 

In the office, Warden Sanders confirms that Sassyann’s execution warrant has been signed and she is being taken to another prison for execution. The warden then announces that Warden Alton had spoken about Cussy’s work at the mayor’s weekly luncheon in Louisville, prompting the mayor to call the state director over Corrections, who arranged an eight-day community furlough for Cussy to assist at the Louisville Western Colored Branch Library. 

Cussy pleads to keep her baby, but the warden is adamant that the previously ordered abortion and sterilization will proceed upon her return. She states that she must abide by the medical committee’s decision. In a rare moment of candor, the warden admits to her own past experience of domestic abuse. She claims that if her husband had not died from alcoholism, she would have ended up on Death Row for killing him like Sassyann. The warden orders Cussy to hide her pregnancy while on furlough, hands her a letter from home, and informs her that Regina will manage the library in her absence.

As Cussy prepares to leave, a remorseful Regina gives her a handmade bookmark and asks to be trained as a librarian when Cussy returns; Cussy forgives her. 

Early the next morning, Waldeen helps Cussy pack, hiding her precious book from Jackson inside the bag. Waldeen urges Cussy not to come back from the furlough, convinced the prison will take her baby and that a pardon is a false hope. 

While waiting for her transport, Cussy reads a letter from Honey. Honey reports that Jackson has not answered her letters and that she has sent him four; she also notes that her aging mule, Junia, pines for Cussy. She gushes about her “steady” beau, Francis, and the going-steady ring he gave her. The news fills Cussy with a mixture of joy for her daughter and sadness at her growing up.