This was probably the strangest book I ever read. At the end of it I don’t know if the character really learned much of anything. Other than the cult being worse than being around people who actually treated her with respect. I understand that the book is more focused on the mother daughter relationship —or lack thereof. I’m glad that the character had gotten out of the cult, but at the same time I think there’s more she could’ve learned. And that her situation at the end of the book, despite it being much better than her past experiences, still shows that there are still some beliefs from the past that she holds on to. And for that reason, I don’t really know if she was able to completely break free.
- In the beginning of the book, Lacey has her first period and her mom gets her sweets. when Lacey tells her she in pain her mother says, “‘Women have a long history of suffering,'” what does she mean by this? Do you think help do anything to fight against it?
I think when she talks about women’s suffering is not only talking about cramps, she talking about the struggles she went through that her daughter isn’t aware of in the book. Like the way her own mother treated her and many of the men that have abused her. I think she barely does anything to help fight against this, she leaves her daughter in a dangerous position, she goes off to be a, “movie star,” with some random guy while the women that care about her try to convince her to not go. She could’ve worked at a restaurant, gotten an office job, moved somewhere with more resources where her and her daughter could’ve enjoyed their lives together…. but she didn’t. She does call the cops for her daughter in the end, which was good. However, there’s still so much more she could’ve done.
2. On page 51, they start rummaging through her mother’s things after they’re pretty sure she won’t be coming back. Lacey is trying find an excuse to keep the romance novels and states that, “women’s needs have never been mentioned in the church, never mentioned by anyone I could remember.” After reading this, what were your predictions of where he book would go? Were you happy or disappointed?
When the character started having these thoughts, it helped me breathe a little bit more. I was hoping that by the end of the book, she wouldn’t’ be tied to any religion whatsoever. But when she talks about a better god at the end and handed out candy canes, I was really disappointed. Christainty i like rolling a dice. Some ways people see it can destroy women from the inside out. Other ways not as much, but that doesn’t change the fact that verses used to suppress women are still there. Or the fact that we may never really know the real story of Jesus since many people where illiterate and considering most of the disciplines were fishermen, i doubt they could even read let alone write. And with the stories most likely being told from word of mouth and then onto to paper to later be truanted a whole bunch of times. Why are people trusting a game of telephone over science?
3. Page 106 talks about a bumper sticker that Vern has, and it says, “Remember who brought the rains and If you were on trail for following Vern would their be enough evidence to convict you?”
4. On page 165, Lacey talks about wanting a different world. What kind of world did she want and how is different from what ended up happening?
5. Daisy talks about how she feels about being a mom on page 204. How is her idea of being a mom different from what most religions teach?
I don’t think its really textbook religion that teaches this. But a lot of religions try to teach girls that being a mom is one of the best things in the world. And their are girls and women who geneliuly want that wholeheartedly. But not everyone. Dasiy talks about how she didn’t;t really want a kid, but ended up loving her daughter anyway. I think even today, being a mother is as respected at it should be. Pregnant women can face having permeant disabilities anreven death after or while being pregnant. They are usaully the ones in the relationship that have to sacrifice most of their time for that kid. And for years they are completely dependent on someone else while with pets they are only dependent for about half a year.
6.When Stringy finds out the truth about Vern on 265, how does Cherry react? What do you think it was like when Lacey’s mother lived with Cherry before is was born? How does Lacey’s relationship with her mother help her move away from Cherry’s ideologies?
Cherry cared more about what would happen to her pastor rather than her own granddaughter. When Lacey’s mother lived with her, it probably would’ve been a living hell if it wasn’t for her dad. Grandparents are usually more affectionate to their grandchildren then they were their actual children and if that’s how she treated Lacey then I don’t even want to know how she treated her mother.
7. When Lacey has her daughter, towards the end she talks about how Peaches asks who her daddy is and Lacey says she, “looks into her eyes, [and says] nothing.” And that, “the truth does not always set us free.” Do you think she does the right thing by not telling hr daughter what happened?
No. I abulsutly do not think she did the right thing. I don’t want to hide reality from children, I think that wrong and if anything it could make their situation even worse. When the truth is hidden kids might start to feel too invesible. And when that happens and then a bad situation presents itself. I think those kids fall down harder.
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