Connie’s “reprieve” does not involve a spectral visit to anyone who wronged her; she simply takes a moment of rest, in which she can be taken care of after spending her life taking care of others. The dark-skinned woman’s name, Piedade, recalls Connie’s home in Brazil, suggesting that in “Paradise” Connie has finally reconnected with her home. The book’s presentation of Paradise is unclear: it is a place of peace and catharsis, home to souls who were “lost” and have been “saved.” At the same time, Paradise demands “endless work,” and its downward location mirrors traditional descriptions of Hell. The story frames Paradise as a positive place, but it is also a confusing one, and it requires believers to draw their own interpretations about its nature.