Discussion question 5- SPOILER ALERT

[Kristin]

Did you wish all seven of the Foss siblings could have found one another in the end? In your opinion, would that have been realistic or unrealistic? Why do you think the author chose not to bring all of the siblings back together?

[Michele]

I wish they all could have come together at the end. But I understand it not being realistic due to records being closed and all the scandal that would have hit the country if they truly found out how corrupt this woman was. And sometimes people don't want to drag up the past. And sometimes it is better to not rock the boat I suppose.

[Kristin]

Does anyone wonder what really happened to the sister that was the feisty one. I can't recall her name right now. The one that was always fighting? I still, after being done reading for a while now, can't stop thinking about her and what they did to her.

I wanted them to be able to all come together. I was especially sad that they never found Gabion. That really broke my heart. But, in the end, considering the corruption, they were lucky to find the siblings that they did. I'm sure that what's her name, the crazy lady, did her best to try and hide every trace of their origins.

[Michele]

Camellia I believe was her name.. I think they either shipped her off somewhere to work as someone's servant. Or they punished her so bad for her outspokeness and fighting that she died from the result. I wish they could have at least found Gabion.. But that lady was vile and if you read the note from the author it said that she purposely changed their paperwork, so that birth parents, families and siblings could not go back to find them and get reconnected.. I don't get how people come up with this stuff, and can be so conniving and hurtful towards other human beings is beyond me. I can't hardly stand to read articles anymore dealing with people who purposely abuse their kids. I waited so long to have Olivia and to make it through what happened after with the clots and all the times I thought I was pregnant only to just skip a period, or possibly miscarry one that I just thought my period was late since I wasn't regular. I have spend many nights thinking why me...

[Jayde]

I would have found it a little too fairytale if they all reconnected. It made the story more real for me that only the four of them were reunited. I think the author wanted the book to be as close to reality as possible, since the book was based on true events. I got the feeling that Camellia was killed or died from mistreatmeant.

[Jessica]

I think the author purposely made it so the seven of them never found each other and that Stevie/Trent never found his sister because that's not real life and while the characters may not be real I'm sure they represent hundreds of siblings who were forever separated or only reunited in old age. I also thought it was interesting that they never told their families about their past. I'm sure it hurt in manners I couldn't even imagine and maybe it was for the best keeping it separate, but I also think that adds to the pain and the conditioning some went through to just bottle things up and shelve them.

[Cassandra]

Agree with the rest, it would have been unrealistic for everyone to reunite. I think Camelia was on of the kids who died under their care. I don't think the boy was lying when he said they caried her body out of the house and dumped her in the river. And of all the kids at the orphanage I think it's best it was Gabion they didn't find, he was so little he would not even remember the experience or his real parenrs, so as sad as it is, he would need the reunion with his birth family the least.