Ana reflects on the injuries her family members have sustained from fighting in wars: her grandfather has a metal nose, her Uncle Ben lost an arm, her Uncle Noah no longer speaks, and her cousin Kimo had a leg amputated. The five women in the family are Hawaiian beauties; Ana’s mother, Lily, and her aunt Ava are taxi dancers who entertain for a living. However, Ava continually abuses her daughter Kiki, and Ana remembers one night, when Kiki’s father came by to the shared family home, made love to Ava, and then began to slap her. Afterwards, Ava hit Kiki, who landed on her head with her eyes rolled back. Although her family tries to stop the violence, this cycle happens often: Ava hits Kiki’s head with an iron skillet, shaves her head, and holds her hand over an open flame. Ava then has a second child with a Chinese man named Gum and names him Taxi after she gives birth in one. When Kiki tries to touch Taxi, Ava screams that she will break her arm, and Kiki swears to never touch the “little bastard.” Ana then notices that Kiki walks with a worsening limp, but when their grandfather takes her to the doctor, the doctor says the bones of her inner ear are damaged. Ana thinks back to her own father and how he would visit and then leave, which caused her mother to sleep for days. One day, he left her indefinitely, and her mother actually died. Kiki then tells Ana that she is in love with Gum. Gum tries to explain to Ava, and then Ana hears Taxi scream one night and realizes that Ava has bruised him. Ana’s grandfather tries to kick Ava out, but she begs for forgiveness and he relents. The family slowly begins to separate until only Ava, Uncle Noah, Uncle Ben, and some cousins are left. However, Ana’s grandfather soon dies, and Ava screams at his funeral, heartbroken. After the funeral, Ava tries to ask Ana where Taxi is, and although Ana does not tell her, Ava kidnaps Taxi from Gum and hides away in her bedroom with him for multiple days. The family tries to break in, but Ava then kills Taxi and tries to kill herself. Ana studies to become a nurse to help others. No one can help Ava, however, who is released from the mental hospital and begins to stalk her daughter, Kiki. Kiki begins to do nothing but eat pastries. When lightning season comes to Hawai’i, everyone hears Ava scream one night and finds Uncle Ben standing with her. Rumors that she was struck by lightning, Uncle Ben, or Kiki arise. Kiki’s health declines, and she tries to kill herself. However, a burglar discovers her mid-attempt and saves her, which leads them to fall in love and have a child, named Lily after Ana’s mother. When Lily is eight, Ana returns home to see her verbally and physically abusing a doll, only to later bandage its battered body. Lily exclaims that she is going to be a doctor, and Ana imagines that her niece will break the mold of their family.