Kiss Her Goodbye Chapter 38: Chapter 37 Summary and Analysis

Spoiler Warning: This chapter summary contains detailed plot points from Chapter 37 (Chapter 38) of Kiss Her Goodbye. Proceed only if you have read the chapter or are comfortable knowing key events.

Summary (Chronological)

Sabera continues to hallucinate her dead cousin Habib, who follows her everywhere—sometimes groomed, sometimes bloodied, always smirking. Over time, she moves from ignoring him to hissing, then to full conversations about his treacherous father and the gold. She also sees her mother’s spirit disappearing between tents and her beloved husband Jamil, who appears either as the handsome man she met at university or with brains leaking from a skull wound. Sabera learns to suppress panic reactions because screaming leads to heavy medication; instead, she talks to the shadows.

She notices that her brother Farshid never appears among these apparitions. This absence convinces her that Farshid must still be alive—she recalls seeing him shot in the head but now realizes head wounds can be non-fatal. Dr. Richard gently listens but offers no confirmation. Isaad grows thunderous, telling her to stop the “insanity.” The family unit has fractured since young Omid’s death; Rafiq is grim, Malalai longs for Zahra.

Sabera presses Dr. Richard about the possibility that Farshid was taken to a torture camp. Dr. Richard reveals he has military contacts who help former interpreters. He can call in a single favor to arrange a transfer for Sabera’s family to a refugee center in Abu Dhabi. Months later, the transfer happens. Malalai weeps while Rafiq twists away; their own refugee status remains uncertain.

In Abu Dhabi, Sabera receives proper medical care. Doctors diagnose her with postpartum depression with psychosis and adjust her medications. Zahra thrives, gaining weight and motor skills. Isaad returns to math tutoring. Sabera stops talking to shadows. Next, the family is relocated to Texas, USA, where she undergoes months of interviews, shots, and weekly appointments with a psychiatrist who updates her diagnosis to major depressive disorder with psychotic features. The psychiatrist notes that Sabera’s intelligence enables more complex illusions.

Sabera endures interviews with military types and a linguistics professor, where she follows her mother’s advice to give vague answers. The psych doc watches but never exposes her. With better medication (Lexapro and Haldol), Sabera’s hallucinations fade. Isaad declares her fully recovered, but Sabera privately believes the spirits are simply less powerful in America. She concludes the chapter by addressing her daughter Zahra: ghosts do exist, but they are not always who we expect them to be.

Key Events

Sabera regularly hallucinates and converses with dead cousin Habib, mother, and husband Jamil.
She deduces that brother Farshid is alive because he never appears among her ghosts.
Sabera discusses the possibility of Farshid being in a torture camp with Dr. Richard.
Dr. Richard reveals military contacts and arranges a transfer to Abu Dhabi for Sabera’s family.
The family moves to Abu Dhabi, then to Texas, USA, where Sabera undergoes psychiatric treatment.
Sabera’s hallucinations subside with new medication, but she still believes in ghosts.
She reflects on leaving Malalai and Rafiq behind, uncertain of their fate.

Character Development

Sabera – Her mental state fluctuates between lucid reasoning and psychotic hallucinations. She uses the logic of her ghosts (Farshid’s absence) to form a hope that keeps her going. Throughout the chapter, she learns to navigate medical systems, from the Prozac protocol in the camp to more sophisticated care in the US. Her intelligence is both a blessing (language ability, rationalization) and a curse (complex illusions).

Isaad – He remains protective but increasingly frustrated. He confronts Sabera about her “insanity,” yet he is the one who insists she is “special” and pushes for escape. His declaration that she is “fully recovered” suggests denial or a desire for normalcy.

Dr. Richard – A pragmatic caregiver who sees Sabera’s language gift as miraculous. He takes a risk by calling in a favor, showing compassion beyond his limited resources.

Zahra – Silent but growing. She becomes a symbol of resilience and the reason Sabera must keep living.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Grief and Hallucination – Sabera’s ghosts are manifestations of unresolved trauma. Her ability to interact with them (rather than panic) becomes a coping mechanism that authorities pathologize.
Hope vs. Numbness – The Prozac protocol numbs her, but the hope that Farshid lives provides a flicker of light. The chapter contrasts chemical suppression with defiant belief.
The Frog and the Children – Sabera’s outburst about frogs dying in earnest while children throw rocks critiques the geopolitical powers that treat refugees as pawns.
Language as Power and Survival – Sabera’s ability to speak endless languages comforts patients and makes her valuable to authorities. It also demonstrates her agency within a system that constantly tries to diagnose and control her.
Ghosts as Unreliable but Real – The final lines reframe the novel’s central question: ghosts exist, but they may not be the dead. The reader is left to wonder what other “ghosts” may be present.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point for Sabera’s journey out of the camp. It shows the psychological cost of her trauma while also giving her a concrete reason to keep fighting (Farshid’s presumed survival). The transfer to Abu Dhabi then the US marks the end of the first major phase of her displacement. The chapter also deepens the mystery around Farshid and introduces the possibility that Sabera’s hallucinations may not be entirely delusional—the ghosts “fading” in America could be real. It sets up the novel’s later exploration of identity, loyalty, and what constitutes reality.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Sabera believe her brother Farshid is still alive?
She notices that all her dead family members—Habib, her mother, Jamil—appear to her as ghosts, but Farshid never does. This absence leads her to conclude that Farshid did not die from the head wound she witnessed. She reasons that head wounds can look fatal when they are not, and that Farshid might have been taken to a hospital or a torture camp.

2. How does Dr. Richard help Sabera and her family?
Dr. Richard has military contacts in an organization that helps former interpreters. He calls in a single favor to arrange a transfer for Sabera’s family from the camp to a refugee center in Abu Dhabi, which offers better medical care and resources. This transfer ultimately leads to their resettlement in the United States.

3. What is the significance of the final line: “Ghosts do exist. They’re just not always who we expect them to be”?
Sabera is speaking to her daughter Zahra, but the line also addresses the reader. Throughout the chapter, Sabera’s ghosts are clearly hallucinations, yet she insists they are real. The line suggests that the “ghosts” in the story may not be literal spirits but rather memories, traumas, or people who have shaped Sabera’s life in ways she is only beginning to understand. It leaves open the possibility that other characters or events in the novel will function as unexpected “ghosts.”