This represents when Florens is bought from her previous owner by Jacob. She is taken away from her mother. However she is not exactly protested to stay. In fact, her mother begs the strange man to take Florens. Florens never understood why her mother would betray her. She never understood that her mother was trying to save her by sending her away from an abusive master. This abandonment leads her to seek love from anywhere she can get it. First from Lina and then a nameless African blacksmith

This boat represents a flashback scene of Rebekah's voyage from England to America. Because she was neither a man or well-off woman she was stuck in the ship's "dark place" along with 4 other women two of which are prostitutes, one a thief, and one a disgrace to her family. They formed a certain bond because of their predicament that was not to be continued after the ship had landed, but the friendship helped Rebekah get over the fact that she was to be married to a man that she has never meet.

This is the place that Florens has been trying to get to for the majority of the book. Because "Miss" is extremely sick, Florens is sent to find the mysteriously nameless Blacksmith because of his knowledge of medicinal herbs and flowers. When Florens arrives, she is surprised to see that the Blacksmith has taken in an orphan boy. She quickly finds out that the Blacksmith loves the boy more than her. Florens is heartbroken. The one man she really loved values her less than an orphan boy.