Question 6: Bee and Bernadette

[Lauren]

I was unexpectedly charmed by the relationship between Bee and her mom. How about the rest of you?

[Carol]

Ditto. It actually surprised me how their relationship had developed and as she got older improved even more.

[Lauren]

Agreed. For me, it also made to clear why Bernadette would not either commit suicide or disappear: she was too attached to Bee to make that happen (not to say that parents who commit suicide don't love their children, just that, as Bee and Bernadette were portrayed, Bernadette permanently disappearing didn't work within the context of the story).

[Carol]

Help me understand about her committing suicide or disappearing. While reading I re-read and still didn't "get" the reasoning why she would want to take her life or disappear. Didn't get it.

[Lauren]

It was the assumption made by the "authorities" - a logical assumption given the available facts, but I felt that Ms. Semple was trying to push that on readers as well, and it always felt like a red herring to me.

[Ashley]

I too was charmed by the relationship. It seemed genuine, quirky, and not overdone. Bee's loyalty to her mum (particularly in the school parking lot), and vice versa, was sweet. They had a mutual understanding of each other, where each accepted the other for who she was. Bernadette didn't try to mold Bee into being anyone other than Bee---she was fundamentally accepted by her mom. And Bee simply understood her mom and loved her as she was, not wishing she was more Audrey-like or whatever. I thought the whole dynamic was sweet.

And right, Bernadette was too attached to have permanently disappeared!