Abyssinia Jackson Timeline and Summary

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Fun fact: With the exception of the first chapter, literally the entire plot of Marked by Fire follows Abyssinia. So if you want to really get into her timeline, go read the "Detailed Summary." If you're more of a bare-bones kind of person, though, here you go.

• Abyssinia is born in the cotton field where her mother, Patience, works, and all of the women working in the field help.
• Patience's sisters, Sadonia and Serena, take Abby without asking and refuse to give her back. Patience knows them well enough to trick them into returning her baby, though.
• Abby spends quality time with Mother Barker, learning about plants and roots and such.
• Abby's childhood is pretty sweet and both of her parents super love her.
• Abby goes to Strong's barbershop on her birthday and hears a story about Patience sending him out dancing with other women with a giant diaper in his pocket. Ha.
• Abby and Lily Norene play, and later, Abby gets busted in the Lightsey's garden by Sister Lightsey.
• Mother Barker teaches Abby how to make her infamous pound cake.
• Right before Abby's handed the Library Award, a tornado rips through town, ending life as Abby's known it. The twister destroys Strong's mind and his barbershop, and it transforms Miss Sally into Trembling Sally. Dun dun dun…
• Strong leaves.
• Abby makes pound cake for church and it's amazing. When she goes to deliver a piece to Brother Jacobs, he rapes her.
• Patience and Mother Barker stand vigil over Abby, tending to the now silent and bedridden girl.
• Trembling Sally sneaks into the house one day while Patience is out and, to her delight, discovers that Abby is terrified of wasps.
• Patience goes to Cherokee Strip Day, and while she's out, Trembling Sally comes along and fills Abby's room with wasps. Abby finds her voice again.
• There's a flood and a bunch of people come to stay with Patience and Abby. While playing a game with her friends, Abby stands for the first time in months.
• Abby decides to stop singing because she's so mad at God about everything terrible that's happened to her.
• Abby and her mom don't have any money, so a teacher at school contacts the county and they send out a terribly racist woman to "help." Abby drives her off, though.
• Abby and her friends hit puberty. Awkward.
• Abby stops for a swim and Trembling Sally nearly drowns her before Strong miraculously appears and saves her. Whoa.
• Abby is forced to sing in the Christmas program and it goes beyond terribly.
• Abby graduates high school with honors. Instead of heading off to medical school, she starts studying with Mother Barker and learning how to become a healer.
• At Mother Barker's funeral, Abby sings again—and this time, her voice is strong and clear.
• Abby repeatedly tries to help Lily Norene, but her friend dies. When Abby is watching her kids, Trembling Sally once more tries to kill her, this time by burning down the house as they all sleep.
• Abby escapes, saving herself and Lily's children; Sally dies in the fire, finally ending her reign of terror over Abby's life.
• Abby steps fully into her power.