Question L

[Jonetta]

Kim was critical of the Billingham/Trueman’s for cloistering their daughter behind a literal fortress. What do you think shaped her inability to understand their actions?

[Lynn]

Kim has seen so much of the world - too much - that she can't believe how little life this girl has. Also Kim would have given anything to have had a normal childhood which Emily's mother seemed to be taking away from her daughter.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

Kim is very sensitive to what she sees as any parental failure. It's interesting because Emily's mother is nearly the opposite of Kim's mother, she cares too much and wraps her child up in cotton wool. But Kim still sees fault in it.

But Kim does admit when it becomes apparent that Emily is in danger that her mother's care did probably save her life. No parent is perfect. I think Kim does take this on board.

[Jonetta]

Kim was only with loving foster parents for such a short time and doesn’t understand the lengths to which most parents will go to protect their children. It’s a foreign concept that she’s slowly learning, mostly through her relationship with her dog. I liked that she reflected about it later, recognizing that this was a misstep for her.