Shannon’s Comments (group member since May 21, 2018)

Shannon’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

@Rebecca
Can you get a small quote containing the word "gravy" from "Love is a War Song"?

Trio wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Yup so long as it's the primary subject matter of the book"

the whole book does take place in Denmark... but it also has red, white, and blue on the cover. I left it in the books ta..."

I'm going to put it under the World Wheel mini (red, white, and blue on cover) since Denmark's a level 1 country and it'll help us get closer to getting another country

@Trio
Can you add "Not Written in the Stars" to your shelf?

Lucy wrote: "Shannon wrote: "@Haley
Can you please add "Dead of Summer" to your shelf?

@Lucy
Can you please add "Vicious", "United As One", and "Hazel's Theory of Evolution" to your shelf?"

Added!"

Thank you!

@Haley
Can you please add "Dead of Summer" to your shelf?

@Lucy
Can you please add "Vicious", "United As One", and "Hazel's Theory of Evolution" to your shelf?

Rebecca wrote: "Turmeric - “with your organic everything and your goddamn turmeric”"

Thank you!

@Trio
Can you get a little bit of a quote for the strawberry buttercream?

Haley wrote: "Shannon wrote: "@Haley
Can you get the page number and a bit of the sentence that includes banana in "Sunburned"?"

yes! I can add that shortly :)"

Thanks :)

Rebecca wrote: "Also I don't want to mess with the sheet but Death of an Ex has Pho on loc 2647."

I will switch it! Thanks Rebecca! Can you get me a short quote with the word from the book?

@Haley
Can you get the page number and a bit of the sentence that includes banana in "Sunburned"?

Thank you both!

@Shan ~A~
Can you please add "Breathe" to your shelf?

@Trio
Can you please add "His Lordship's Secret" and "The Golden Dragon's Unexpected Mate" to your shelf?

Amanda wrote: "I think, and I admit I'm bad at strategy so if anyone else is really good at it please step on up, the order I would do is

Mini 3
Mini 1
Mini 2
Mini 4

I've gotta update our most recent cheese to ..."

In addition, I think it would be useful to keep a look out for the foods we need to find in the text (mini 4 part 1) as these can be harder to find. The foods we still need to find are:
- lobster
- tumeric
- strawberry
- gravy
- ube
- kiwi
- pierogi
- naan
- pho
- banana
- broccoli
- empanada
- quinoa

Some of these will probably be hard to find in books, so I just keep a list next to me as a reminder while I'm reading. That way if my book doesn't easily fit into another task, there's a backup

I'm here!

DQs Day 5
Chapters Fourteen - Seventeen


20. Well, I think we all knew that we were going to end up with Norma turning out to really be the lost girl and her being reunited with her biological family. Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share on that reunion? Or a comparison you'd like to venture between what we know of both of Norma's families?

[Personally, I find the fact that Norma had never laughed so much in her life a sad testament to the life she'd been leading under Lenore's thumb and the piled upon guilt. Laughing is so important (and let's face it, if you haven't snorted juice out of your nose, you're missing out) and it's a shame she never had that, not even with friends during all those years. Lenore's shadow seems enormous.]

I also thought when she said "i have never laughed this much" was incredibly sad. I know that her "adopted" should I say family loved her, but she missed out on so much and I feel bad about that!

21. Aunt June stays true to her word. She promised to help find Norma's real family and she managed to find the article that would bring this family reunion about. Do you think the conflict between the two women was well handled? From the moment Norma gave in to her anger and yelled at June to the moment where June told her that going to meet her family was not something for her to intrude upon.

Yes, I think all this was handled in the best way. I would also be mad and probably snap if I found out I was kidnapped and raised by a random family. I also agree with Aunt June not going to meet Norma's family. I feel like that would've raised tensions between Aunt June and Norma's actual family.

23. All in all, were you satisfied with the book? The story - did you enjoy following along Norma's and Joe's lives? The writing - did you enjoy the way the words flowed over the page, painting a world and its landscapes without however overusing words? Or maybe that's just my opinion - that it flowed nicely and pulled the reader along like a boat gently rocking on water.

I'm not going to lie. I was weary going in. The chapters were very long and I'm moreso used to thrillers. But I gave it a chance and loved it. The descriptions were so vivid it was like I was there! I could get lost in this book for hours at a time! It was great!

24. Would you read another book by this author? Do you maybe have recommendations for Native American literature that you'd like to share with the group?

Yes I would definitely read another book by this author! I really enjoyed this book! I don't have any recommendations off the top of my head, but I do know I read a similarish book when I was younger, but it was almost reversed. The book was about two white kids getting kidnapped by Indians and raised in their ways. I don't remember what it was called and it was definitely a middle grade as I was rather young, but definitely a great read!

DQ Day 4 Chp. 11-13

16. While Joe has pretty much run away from home life, He gets a job and buys a truck. He runs into a woman who didn't feel necessary to give her name. Do you think this is Norma (Ruthie)? Do you think Joe would recognize her if it was?

No, I didn't think it was Norma. I had the idea that Norma was living with her parents following the divorce and briefly lived alone. I suppose it's possible, however. I think he would recognize her or she would say something that would remind him of her.

17. Joe is gone over 8 years when he finds out he has a kid. Did you think he would actually go home to be with his family? Why do you think he can't/won't?

I thought it would take a long time with how deeply he feels everything. But I did think he would eventually go home, or at least find Norma.

18. When Norma misses that her mother is getting older and forgetful, did you judge her for not moving in and taking care of her mother?

I didn't judge her. I don't think she realized how bad it was getting until the snow scene.

19. Was you losing faith that Norma would find out the truth before the end of the book? How did you think she would find out? Was hearing the truth from her Aunt a surprise?

No I wasn't. In the beginning of the book, Norma's POV says something along the lines of "my whole family lied to me my entire life" so I knew she would eventually figure it out. I just wasn't expecting Aunt June to so bluntly tell her. I thought Norma would have to figure it out herself somehow, so this was a surprise.

DQs Day 3

12. When Norma tells her mother she's pregnant, Norma notices fear in her other's eyes. What do you think that fear was about? Do you think she was remembering her own past experiences and worrying about Norma, or was she fearing that this would lead to Norma finding out the truth somehow? (Thinking to all of the bloodwork and stuff that comes from this, though admittedly not sure in the time frame if that was as much of a concern.)

I thought both of these, but I never fully thought through how she would realize she wasn't Lenore's. Bloodwork does make sense though or a DNA test sort of thing.

13. Ruthie was from Nova Scotia and went missing in Maine, yet Norma and Ben ran into each other in Boston of all places — somewhere his family would not be expecting her. Later, when they need some time away, Norma's husband takes her to Nova Scotia, where she feels some familiarity and connection to the land. Are these crossovers just coincidences, or do you think that in the grand scheme of the story, something more (fate, a higher power, etc.) is leading them to each other?

I think it's fate. Obviously, Mark doesn't know that Norma was stolen (at least I think) and Aunt June likely wasn't expecting anyone to recognize Norma at Boston. I think this may just be clever plotting of the book.

14. We get the backstory in this section on why Joe didn't know he had a daughter at first. Knowing what we know now do you agree with his family's decision to keep him in the dark? Have your opinions on Joe changed with this piece of backstory revealed?

I do agree with the decision. If someone hit me, I wouldn't feel comfortable telling him that I'm pregnant with his child in fear he would hurt the baby. I'm not sure I would ever tell him. And yes, my opinions definitely changed on Joe. I used to pity him, but now not so much anymore. Beating your wife crosses the line.

15. "I would learn to love the little one." What a strange thing for Lenore to say when broaching the topic of adoption — especially considering Norma's circumstances. What did you think when you read that — especially seeing how Lenore treated Norma growing up?

I thought "you already have." There's no learning at this point because she already had to learn to love Norma who wasn't her child.

DAY 2 QUESTIONS - CHAPTERS 4-7

7. "But sometimes I think that sadness drilled down deep and some of it might just be there for good"
"now get lost and leave me to my book."
"There was love in that house but none of us really knew what to do with it."
In chapter four we learn more about Norma's parents and life in their house as she grew up. Does learning about Lenore's past make you more sympathetic to her? And how about their parenting style, I can't imagine ever telling my children or grandchildren "to get lost" because I wanted to read a book. (Ok, I'm sure all parents might have thought it at times, but saying it to a child is a definite no no in my book!)

I feel bad for Lenore, definitely, but I can't justify kidnapping and lying to a child. That is so wrong and I almost positive it's going to backfire in all their faces. Yes, she was raised well, but I think her family was doing a fine enough job raising her as it was alone. I also think Frank meant "get lost" in a joking way. I didn't take it as something to be offensive or rude.

8. In juxtaposition to Frank, Lenore and Norma, we have alternating chapters about family life from Joe's POV. Thoughts and why does the author structure the novel this way?

I think that its trying to connect the two characters or build up for when they meet again. Joe hasn't lost faith that Ruthie is still alive, although he sometimes seems to be losing faith, I think a part of him still believes she's alive.

9. Chapter 5 - the horrible incident with Frankie and Charlie. How did you feel reading about this injustice? Could anything been done to avert this tragedy? How does Amanda Peters' writing the scene add to the heartbreak?

I felt awful. I also felt awful that Joe thought it was his fault! He was trying to get help! The only thing I can think of that may have averted the incident would have been to yell for help. Maybe some adult would have heard and came to the rescue. I'm not sure I understand the last bit of the question.

10. What you think of Aunty June and her role in the story? Why does she encourage Norma to interact with the Indian protesters only to pull her back when she is recognized as Ruthie?

I think Auntie June is encouraging Norma to engage with people of her kind, which would be Indians, although Norma doesn't know that she is one of them. I think Auntie June may feel bad about the whole thing and this may be her way of finding peace with what she did. I think she encouraged her to go to the protest not knowing someone would recognize her. There's so many people in the world. The chances of someone recognizing a kidnapped kid that many years later, I think are slim to none.

11. Joe seems to be a tragic figure as the story of his life is revealed. How he has responded to racism and trauma make you feel when reading this book? Are you enjoying the story or does it make for uncomfortable reading?

Joe is definitely a tragic character. I think when he was younger, he saw the wrong in the world, recognized it as wrong, but just bottled it up. I think every time something wrong happened to him, he kept bottling those emotions up. He never spoke up and said it was wrong (I do get it's a different time period though) and all the emotions came out and ended up getting him hurt. I wouldn't say his POVs are making me uncomfortable, but I do feel bad for him.

Shannon's BOTM Tracking:
Day 1: Link
Day 2: Link
Day 3: Link
Day 4: Link
Day 5: Link

DQs for day 1

Some of these questions will lead to possible spoilers. Please be sure to hide any spoilers

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book?

Going into this book, I just skimmed the blurb, not going to lie. I thought this was going to be a murder mystery, but after reading this section, that certainly doesn't seem to be the case.

2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are?

I think Joe is going to be more reliable than Norma. (view spoiler)[ Norma or Ruthie has been lied to her whole life on who she is. I'm hoping that Alice will help her to remember, but I'm not sure how much one can remember after being kidnapped at 4 years old. (hide spoiler)]

3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq?

It makes it seem like there is a difference between them, although he goes on to say there is nothing in their blood that keeps the black flies away. I think at a young age, he experienced prejudice or discrimination by white people and he's keeping it in his heart that people think there is a difference. He, however, is very aware that there is no actual difference.

4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow?

I think the dreams are her remembering. (view spoiler)[ I'm positive that Norma is Ruthie. Ruthie was kidnapped by Lenore or Lenore's husband because Lenore couldn't birth a child. I don't think the dreams are foreshadowing, but if they were, maybe they're foreshadowing Norma finding her actual family. (hide spoiler)]

5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings?

I think Lenore's paranoia comes from her fear of Norma being found by her actual parents. (view spoiler)[ I think Norma is Ruthie and Lenore is worried about losing yet another of "her" kids disappearing. I think Lenore is also trying to hold onto when Norma was first found when she was four. At four, according to the book, you don't form memories. So maybe, since Norma is forming memories and remembering her life, she is trying to get her to regress in age (although I don't think this will work) (hide spoiler)]

6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad?

I think he was upset by the way the white people treated him and his father, but I didn't read much into this.