guilt

[Diane]

How does Alma’s lingering guilt about Maribel’s accident affect her choices and interactions when she’s in America? Do you think that she still feels this way by the end of the book? What does she have to do, and realize within herself, to move beyond her feelings?

[Bailey]

Alma's lingering guilt prohibits her from enjoying and experiencing all America has to offer. Rather than enjoying and adapting to her new life, Alma focuses only on Maribel and her progression. The schools in America are supposed to be better for special education, however Alma believes Maribel can only recover with help from the school, not normal social interaction. By the end of the book, Alma learns to stop being so protective and give Maribel more freedom in order for her to live as she did before the accident. Alma had to realize within herself that she was not the one to blame for the accident and that she was not responsible for Maribel's injuries. In order for both Alma and Maribel to recover from the incident, Alma had to learn to forgive herself and look towards the future.