I Know This Much is True Chapter 43 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Time for more tales from the old days.
  • Domenico has been taking on so much work after building the school that he hardly has time to write his life story.
  • But his family isn't happy. Well, he isn't happy with his family. Prosperine isn't working as hard for Signora Siragusa has she used to, and the signora suggests Prosperine is pregnant, which she denies.
  • They end up fighting, and Prosperine bites Domenico, just like the monkey did before he dumped her into the lake.
  • He hits her, knocking out a couple of teeth, and Ignazia and Prosperine run away. Domenico doesn't follow, though, because he assumes they're just hiding in town.
  • A week later, he finds them at Signora Siragusa's boarding house. He leaves them there, because where else will they go?
  • They manage to borrow money from a boarder and escape to the train station, but Domenico finds out and intercepts them.
  • He threatens to reveal the details of their past life to the police, so Ignazia and Concettina stay. Prosperine rides off on the train into the distance.