When Anna turns nine, Tom sends her to school in Cossethay. She finds it difficult to make friends, and her only strong bonds are with her parents and her brothers, Tom and Fred. A Polish man named Baron Skrebensky moves to Yorkshire. The baron and his wife impress Anna, and she feels he represents the “real world.” As Anna continues growing up, she attends a young ladies’ school in Nottingham. Although she is smart, she has little interest in school, and she still struggles to make friends. Anna feels disappointed that the world outside Marsh Farm does not make her feel the same freedom she feels at home. At the age of 16, Anna finds her relationship with her parents becoming strained. Lydia dislikes Anna’s “gawkiness” but is otherwise indifferent to her. Anna teases Tom about his drinking, but their camaraderie remains strong. Anna comes to prefer her own sense of spirituality over the dogma of most organized religions. When she is 17, Anna dreams of getting away from home.

When Anna turns 18, Tom’s brother Alfred writes that his son William is moving to a town near Marsh Farm to work in the lace factory. William joins Anna for church the first Sunday after he arrives.