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7 years ago
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Evalyn I think it means that those in the graves were not really strangers as she moved through the cemetery; they were now "known" to her and she was comfortable among them just as Arthur had been.

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Melissa If you notice, in the last few pages, as Maddy visits the cemetery she imagines the lives of those buried there just the same way Arthur did. She feels comfortable there. She feels she knows these people just like Arthur did. “All the lives. All the whispering she hears! It really is true that cemeteries are busy places. I lived! I lived! I lived!” I think leaving a rose on one of these graves is her way of acknowledging these lives.

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Quiltyknitwit

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Julia

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Kelly I don't think the flower was for anyone she personally knew when they were still alive. I think, much like Arthur, Maddy feels the presence of the people in the cemetery, people who have lived lives and are not just names on tombstones. Perhaps she even leaves a third flower for a different person each time she visits. I think it was just another way of saying we are all connected, or have the potential for connection, in some way.

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Heather

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Hope

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linda mcclausky I was confused about this too. I had to read it twice!
Has Elizabeth Berg ever answered this question?

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Elizabeth I think it is a good possibility that it is Gordon. My second guess is Mr. Lyons. My third guess is her father but I agree with an earlier commenter that there was no foreshadowing of his death. Finally, it could be a random grave she loved to visit and find comfort at. One thing for sure, the pronoun was HE. It is not her mother.

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Martha Muckleroy

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Marian I took it to be her mother who had been a stranger to her, but not a stranger after her father gave her some of the memorabilia. Although cremated, I thought perhaps she made a special place for her mom as well.

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