Lives of Girls and Women

“Age of Faith” begins when Del is 12 years old and is initially set before her family’s move to Jubilee. Due to having limited experience outside of the Flats Road, Del indicates that as a child, she believed the world to end where Flats Road ended. During this time, Del explores her faith, first at the United Church in Jubilee, where she and Owen were both baptized but which her family rarely attends. She describes the church as the largest and “most modern” yet “prosperous” church in town. Del describes the other churches in town and who attends each church, such as the Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, and Anglicans. When they move to Jubilee, Del decides to start going to church with Fern, the boarder who lives with them. She hopes her fellow parishioners will notice her “devoutness,” especially because they know Ada isn’t particularly religious.

In an attempt to prove that God exists, Del prays to not have to continue to learn how to sew in her “Household Science” class, believing her prayers have been answered when she is excused from the lessons. Despite Owen being three years younger than Del, she asks Owen about his beliefs about God and the afterlife, but he does not answer her.