1. Camera
1.1. "..her short, fat arms flapping off from her sides like a pair of seal's flippers," pg 10
1.1.1. I can picture that perfectly.
1.2. "Simply close your eyes to the burst of red the sun made burning onto your eyelids," pg 17
1.2.1. I know exactly what that feels like.
1.3. "I couldn't see her face from here, only the bottoms of her feet sticking out from beneath the blanket-greyish white, the creases caked white with dried dead skin, and her toenails, thick and yellowed, curling back over the pads of her toes," pg 52
1.3.1. Not the prettiest sight but I have seen something like this before.
1.4. "..I always remember the way she looked walking off across the meadow that day with the grass up to her waist, and the sun, a bloody red, going down behind the hill," pg 72
1.4.1. That is a really good description, I can see it in my mind.
1.5. "..when she seen the reverend swooping down before her, his black-clad arms flapping like a crow's wings." pg 150
1.5.1. Great description and reference.
1.6. "Pirate was skivvered to the floor with a pig knife, his blood in a thick pool around him and his eyes and mouth shocked open," pg 184
1.6.1. I wish I couldn't picture that.
1.7. "With beads of sweat popping out on his already sweating forehead," pg 205
1.7.1. I've seen this before.
1.8. "..looking pleased as a fox with feathers still floating around him." pg 220
1.8.1. What a great description.
1.9. "..anxious to shut out the picture of Mrs. Ropson handling my squirming, naked body at birth," pg 244
1.9.1. I was picturing it as I was reading.
1.10. "Behind her came a youngster, and another...until they were all shooting out the door and coming towards us like a load of of buckshot," pg 266
1.10.1. I've seen this before.
2. Voice
2.1. "...we have broken this law! And we pay! Perhaps not today. Or tomorrow. But, hell burns forever, my brethren! And no sinner escapes!" Reverend pg 2
2.1.1. What a crazy thing to say to your community, especially when the belief in God is supposed to be about love and forgiveness and whatnot, not things that make you fear God. It is almost like brainwashing.
2.2. "'Cuz for sure there won't be many lilies sproutin' roots outta the likes of Rube Gale's liquor-rotted corpse," Nan pg 7
2.2.1. Nan seems to be very critical towards the alcoholics of Haire's Hollow.
2.3. "..till finally I was racing down onto the beach, with the wind washing my hair.." pg 16
2.3.1. I love running on beaches. Feeling the sand between your toes is such a lovely sensation.
2.4. "I wants me own candies, " Margaret yelled pg 21
2.4.1. What a little spoiled brat! I would be thankful if someone offered me a candy any day.
2.5. "Nan leaned forward and popped another candy in her mouth, getting herself a good view of Mrs. Ropson's cards." Pg 26
2.5.1. That was very dishonest of Nan. That is probably why she is a champion at that game.
2.5.1.1. It shouldn't be considered a victory if you cheated.
2.6. "The bell rung for recess saving us from more writing, and flexing my fingers to get the cramp out of my hand..." pg 32
2.6.1. I always get cramps in my hand from writing. I think it is because I put too much pressure on the pencil as I am writing.
2.7. I can't believe Kit would let Margaret get away with something like that! Especially when it puts Kit in a bad spot with her teacher. I wish she had've stuck up for herself. (event on pg 33)
2.8. "As long as I walks the face of this earth, no one got the guts to come after you,again," Nan pg 44
2.8.1. Just because Nan said that I feel like something bad is going to happen to her. Kit needs her in her life so badly to have some sort of reliable role model and caregiver.
2.9. "She might be a tramp, but she's better than them that made her so.." Nan pg 52
2.9.1. Isn't it amazing that even people brought up in a rough environment can become beautiful people on their own? I find it so amazing.
2.10. "I nodded, as I did to everything asked of me the past days, my heart too laden to do much of anything else," pg 56
2.10.1. Yeah, isn't that the truth. Half the time I can't be bothered doing anything other than agreeing just because it is the easiest, but it isn't the best for me.
2.11. "Your very own star. And if it don't bring you what you wishes for, you come to Old Joe, and he'll get it for you," Old Joe pg 58
2.11.1. That is so thoughtful of Old Joe to do that for Kit after everything that has happened to her. It's so nice to see kindness after such a tragedy.
2.12. "..I was back to thinking on Nan buffing turrs again, and being careful not to break the skin and sap the oil," pg 68
2.12.1. I thought this was an interesting metaphor about going to far and hurting the other person by doing so. This can happen to anyone at any time, that's why you should always be careful of what you say to people.
2.13. "..like when you have a dream sometimes and you wake up and you can't remember it, but the feeling is so strong that it's almost if the feeling is the dream itself," pg 70
2.13.1. I find my dreams always to be like that. The mind is so incredible and powerful and we don't even realize it half the time. Such a waste really.
2.14. "Everybody's afraid of something. Most times, whatever they're afraid of never happens," Sid pg 95
2.14.1. I think Sid has a really good point here. We always worry about the worst case scenario and what will happen if it goes wrong, but really, worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.
2.15. I knew someone was going to get hurt by the axe! Saw that coming from a mile away. (event on pg 116)
2.16. "It's his twisted sense of Christian duty that made him treat her-and Josie-the way he did. Hell, there's times I wish the devil'd take them both and spare Christ the bother." Sid pg 123
2.16.1. I felt that Sid said this brilliantly. I thought the same thing about the reverend, he is a very evil man, yet he speaks and preaches in the name of God.
2.17. "See the world through different colours. Its when everyone starts thinking that theirs is the only colour that things start getting hairy." Sid pg 129
2.17.1. Once again I found myself strongly agreeing with Sid's quote. People have to learn that there is more than one way to look at the world, not just through their own lens.
2.18. "..it's fittin' in with the rest of the girls that's part of growing up, and if you're not fittin' in, then perhaps there should be another meeting," May Eveleigh pg 137
2.18.1. You shouldn't have to follow everyone else, you should learn to be yourself, and love yourself. Only you know what you are.
2.19. "Funny how you can see something most every day of your life and never pause to think on it," pg 153
2.19.1. It's an example of how unobservant, unappreciative, and self-absorbed were are as humans.
2.20. "It ain't only in church that we finds God," Kit pg 161
2.20.1. I'm not a believer in God per say, but I thought that was a good message to the people that just go to church and not think about it any other time
2.21. "..he reached inside his pants, and pulled out his dick, as big and ugly a thing as ever I'd seen, with purple veins snaking aorund its sides, and the smell of rotting dogberries dripping from it's head." pg 186
2.21.1. What emotion and physical trauma. I f****** hate people that do such things to other people. They are right sick in the head and should be put down, not put in jail.
2.22. "That's God's law, do you hear me, Josie? What don't belong, don't get out!" Sid pg 197
2.22.1. I thought that was a very interesting perspective on God's law. It makes sense to me.
2.23. I can't believe those women would just refuse their doctor appointment for their sick children just so that they could be informed of the latest gossip. (event on pg 202)
2.24. Amazing how many people got away with crimes back then without all of the technology we have. I'm sure many people dodged a lot of prison bullets because of their intelligence or because of the lack of technology the authorities had. (event on pg 202)
2.25. "By God, speak or hell's damnation on your soul!" Reverend pg 224
2.25.1. There he goes again, threatening with God. He controls everyone by fear of God, and it is sickening.
2.26. "She's your sister!" Mrs. Ropson pg 285
2.26.1. No! It can't be! He was so kind and supportive for Kit. He loved her for goodness sake, this isn't fair at all.
2.27. It was really sad that Sid and Kit couldn't be together anymore, they were perfect for each other.
2.28. I thought the book was rather enjoyable, however the first half is very slow. I would suggest a better hook at the beginning of the novel to capture the reader's interest immediately, instead of making them read til the halfway point.
2.28.1. I found it very disappointing that Kit never got to be with her true love. It was very heartbreaking to read about. She deserved it after all the events that she had been through, the poor girl needed something good to happen to her for a change.
3. Puzzle Piece
3.1. This explains why Nan is so harsh towards the drinkers.
3.2. Josie is Kit's mother and according to Nan she has a mental handicap.
3.3. "..when your own kind turns on you, that's what turned my stomach that day," Nan pg 45
3.3.1. That explains Nan's bitterness towards the people of Haire's Hollow
3.4. This quote helps me understand the reverend better.
3.5. "That's why I left when he ordered me to-so's he wouldn't say anything else to hurt you," Sid pg 155
3.5.1. "Everyone's a sinner Kit. Some know it, some don't. Some eat it for breakfast and pass it off as oats," Sid pg 128
3.5.1.1. This is a talking about the townspeople of Haire's Hollow.
3.6. "Play. The word sounded as foreign as Latin." pg 158
3.6.1. That is why Kit is so lonely and unhappy. She never got to live her childhood out. She was always taking care of everyone.
3.7. "It's because I was afraid of kissin' you, that I said what I did," Kit pg 173
3.8. "But they aren't so clearly written. And it's those the reverend don't spend much time on, like those of the mind." Sid pg 199
3.8.1. Sid dislikes his father because he knows that he doesn't preach as well as he should.
3.9. "I'm sorry,Kit, I'm so sorry, it was the only thing left..." Sid pg 225
3.9.1. That's why Sid confessed to the murder, to protect the girls.
3.10. "A man with learning can't lay claim to the youthful truths that he had talked about that evening sitting by the sea. So it was mine that he clung to, and Sid's. And that's why he kept coming to the gully like he did," pg 243
3.11. "..told me what I've suspected all along, that none of my letters have been getting to you. I expect the reverend has seen to that," Sid pg 252
3.11.1. Thats why Kit thought Sid wasn't writing to her in jail.
3.12. The reverend turns out to be Kit's father, and Sid turns out to be Kit's brother. pg 285
3.12.1. The reverend has webbed feet just like Kit does.
3.13. "Each time I attempt to get rid of you, God brings you back to me," Reverend pg 287
3.13.1. That's why he kept trying to send Kit away.
3.14. "I can't think of her as my mother. I only remember of Nan, and this big, gallopin' person who Nan had to protect me from, else she'd have trampled me to death." Kit pg 316
3.14.1. That's why she doesn't call Josie mother.
3.15. "..when she starts menstruating, that's when she becomes a woman. I guessed somewhere I had crossed a line without knowing it. Till Sid came along." pg 321
3.15.1. That's why Kit is so attached to him, he makes her feel like a woman.
4. I Wonder..
4.1. "Christ Drucie, you'd sleep through your own funeral if you had a chance to sit through it," said Nan. (pg 4)
4.1.1. What does she mean by this quote?
4.1.1.1. I think she means that Aunt Drucie is not very observant. It could also relate to her sleeping disorder which makes her fatigue for many hours of the day.
4.2. "..he slouched against a limb-bared popular tree outside of the cemetery, was Shine, the moonshine runner.." (pg 4)
4.2.1. What is a "moonshine runner"?
4.2.1.1. Moonshine in this case is, "illegally distilled whiskey."
4.3. "'Tis not every man who'd put up with Josie and her ways," Nan (pg 12)
4.3.1. What does she mean by "her ways"?
4.3.1.1. Later on in the book you discover that Josie suffers from a mental handicap.
4.4. I wonder who Kit's father is?
4.4.1. Near the end of the novel the father turns out to be reverend Ropson.
4.5. "Can't I just go home from the fire?" Kit (pg 22)
4.5.1. Why doesn't Kit want to go the the fire?
4.5.1.1. Kit and the attendants of the fire do not have a strong relationship.
4.6. "..as Shine held the struggling youngster even closer to the fire." (pg 24)
4.6.1. Why is Shine threatening all of the children?
4.6.1.1. Shine is depicted as one of the antagonists of the story, and does very cruel things the his neighbors on purpose.
4.7. Why doesn't Kit call Josie "mother"?
4.7.1. Kit is ashamed of her mother and her tramp ways, and Josie is too ill to realize she is not acting like a mother towards her daughter.
4.8. Who are they referring to when they say "gully tramps girl"? (pg 31)
4.8.1. Because Josie goes off with the men of Haire's Hollow, which is close to the gully where their home is, Kit has been given this nickname.
4.9. Why didn't Kit stick up for herself when Mr. Haynes approached her about Margaret? (pg 33)
4.9.1. Kit knows that if she gets into any trouble that her teacher and the reverend will send her off to reform school,away from her family.
4.10. Why is Kit protecting Margaret by lying to Nan? (pg 35)
4.10.1. She thinks that her Nan will cause a big fuss over it and therefore lies to keep the peace.
4.11. "Your grandfather and me use to climb down to the beach and build a fire for our cup of tea, years ago when he was alive, God bless him," Nan (pg 44)
4.11.1. How did the grandfather die? Is that why Nan is so bitter?
4.12. Who is Mary Magdalene? (pg 51)
4.12.1. "Mary Magdalene was a leading figure amongst those attracted to Jesus." She was the one who washed His feet and dried them with her hair in the bible.
4.13. What will happen to Kit and Josie now that Nan is gone? (pg 53)
4.13.1. Kit will be put in charge of the household and be assisted by Doctor Hodgins and other hospitable neighbors.
4.14. "And it was a dirty deed the reverend done her, when halfway through the service he went into his sermon on sin with such a vengeance that I could feel Nan's toenails uncurling," (pg 60)
4.14.1. How i one supposed to believe in God when the leaders of the church put so much anger and fear into it?
4.15. "...most of the congregation hung theirs heads in shame for the way he was taking the final say in the bad blood between him and Nan,"(pg 61)
4.15.1. Bad blood? Does that mean they are related?
4.15.1.1. No. It is referring to the "unpleasant feelings between people"
4.16. "For sure they're all frightened to death that you're goin' to start lookin' likeone of theirs someday,"Nan (pg 73)
4.16.1. I wonder if the father is Shine?
4.16.1.1. The father turns out to be the reverend.
4.17. I wonder tif the reverend will try to get at Kit now that the Doctor has left town for a while?
4.18. "However, we will do our Christian duty" Mrs. Ropson (pg 104)
4.18.1. What are the terms of the Christian duty?
4.19. "For sure it would seem that she's been left to you. But perhaps she wasn't. Perhaps shes been left to all of us. Think, Kit, is it sacrifice that keeps you here, or fear?"Doctor Hodgins (pg 166)
4.19.1. I thought this quote was appropriate for the feelings that I had at that time of reading.
4.20. "I grabbed hold of the shovel and plunged it deep into the thick, dark soil and start pitching it over the glass and feathers, cursing like a sailor as I went," Kit (pg 169)
4.20.1. Why didn't Kit pick up her cherished glass pieces and feathers? I thought they meant a lot to her.
4.21. Will the authorities find Shine's body after they dispose of it?
4.21.1. Yes, Sid takes the blame so that Josie doesn't go to jail.
4.22. "We can't let our hearts stand in the way of justice-no matter who or what the situation calls for." Sid (pg 223)
4.22.1. I wonder if that is true?
4.22.2. I wonder if the authorities these days think the same way?
4.23. Will Sid go to jail?
4.23.1. Yes, he sacrifices himself to save Kit and Josie.
4.24. Why won't Sid write to Kit from jail?
4.24.1. He is, the reverend is hiding all of his letters.
4.25. Where is Sid taking Josie and Kit? (pg 259)
4.25.1. To his new friend's house in Godfathers Cove.
4.26. I wonder if Sid is lying to Kit about having another girl? (pg 314)
4.26.1. Sid only said that to try and make Kit move on from him.
4.27. Will they find Old Joe? (pg 334)
4.27.1. Yes, unfortunately they find him dead.
4.28. What is in Josie's secret box? (pg 375)
4.28.1. Josie keeps Nan's old hairnets and Kit's pieces of broken glass that were given to her.
5. Character Development
5.1. Kit
5.1.1. Even though Kit is an excellent student she is taken advantage of because she is passive and shy.
5.1.2. Since her mother is mentally handicapped and violent towards her, Kit has a hard time thinking of her as family.
5.1.3. The death of Nan had a heavy impact on Kit, since she was basically her mother and care giver. She hasn't been the same since.
5.1.4. Kit has become very stubborn and tarty now that Nan isn't around, people are taking her a little more seriously now.
5.1.5. "We all know Josie's limitations, it's her strengths that we don't know. Kit and her mother should be given a second chance to take core of each other, providing we as a community, he from the outside.She's strong, is Kit, and more grown up then her size would have you believe," Doctor Hodgins pg 103
5.1.6. "You know Kittens, there's more to growing up than crossing off years. Have you ever had fun, Kit? A best friend?" Doctor Hodgins pg 165
5.1.6.1. Kit is so used to taking care of everyone that she forgets to take care of herself and have a childhood.
5.1.7. Kit feels like she is an inconvenience when people take time to worry about her. She was always forced to be independent.
5.1.8. After Shine's death Kit is forced to mature once again and take responsibility for her mother.
5.1.9. "Strangely enough, I was feeling the same calm inside. It was as if I had stepped into somebody else's shoes and were allowing them to walk my path with no inkling of touching, tasting or feeling. With Sid's leaving I could no longer imagine a world where such things as love, desire or joy could exist." Kit pg 294
5.1.10. "You've got to get past him, Kit. And if there's one sure way of doin' that, it's findin' someone else." Loret pg 319
5.1.10.1. Kit is in a depression since Sid has left and said that he's found a new girl.
5.1.11. "I want to live my own life,as I see fit. And I want Sid. You can help me if you wants. But I'm goin' after him." Kit pg 349
5.2. Sid
5.2.1. Sid is thought of as a weak boy, but he proves himself to be a strong man when he protects Kit and Josie as well as cares for them both.
5.2.2. Sid proves himself again as he takes the blame for Shine's murder to protect the girls.
5.2.2.1. "Only Sid's was pure, as pure as the white of an angel's robe because it shone from his heart, a heart of honor, and without him even knowing the weight of his offering, or whether his mind was yet strong enough to carry such a load," Kit pg 229
5.2.3. "Maybe that's how it is we can keep moving through later life, because we remember what it felt like to think nothing, and then it becomes our goal-to work our way back there again, and to delight in just being. That's how I feel when I'm with you-I delight in just being." Sid pg 253
5.3. Nan
5.3.1. The cruelty and unkindness of the people of Haire's Hollow made Nan very harsh towards them, since she knows that they are uncaring.
5.3.2. The death of her husband and the violent alcoholics of Haire's Hollow made Nan very bitter and stubborn.
5.4. Josie
5.4.1. Even thought Josie doesn't know she is supposed to be a mother, she still tries to comfort Kit when Nan dies. There is love in her.
5.4.2. Though Josie was always with Shine, she still knew that he was a danger to Kit so she saved her children from him.
5.5. Doctor Hodgins
5.5.1. "No. Nor I. That's the mystery of life, Kit, we enter it, we leave it. We just got to learn to allow for it." pg 340
6. Reminder
6.1. When I read that passage it reminds me of the Southern American accent which then makes me think of one of my favourite shows called True Blood.
6.1.1. "He got the smell of a swampin' bog hole to me, " Aunt Drucie pg 2
6.2. Guy Fawkes night reminds me of the movie V for Vendetta, as it is the story of what that day is actually about.
6.2.1. "Guy Fawkes Night is not til November, ain't it?" Aunt Drucie pg 13
6.3. That passage reminds me of Long Point Beach
6.4. This quote reminded me of Forest Gump because he had a mental handicap, yet it never stopped him from successfully raising a child.
6.4.1. "You can wipe that look off your face, 'cuz she's your mother retarded or no," Nan pg 15
6.5. When Nan mentioned the gloves it reminded me of the first class women from the Titanic. They always wore the best clothes and drank the best water and ate the best food, all while wearing their fancy white gloves.
6.5.1. "..they'd be out to me house with their fancy white gloves on, " Nan pg 25
6.6. Kit named her cat Pirate int he book, which automatically made me think of Johnny Depp's character in Pirates of the Caribbean.
6.7. Anytime I hear the word savage I think of Pocahontas, and the song that the white men sung about the Indians which was called Savages.
6.7.1. "..you're like the savage," Nan pg 29
6.8. This passage reminds me of one of the Harry Potter books because of one of the characters, Professor Snape. I remember Harry talking about his nose always being red and turning to purple from his rage.
6.8.1. "..and that red bulb of his nose had changed into a livid purple," pg 32
6.9. When Kit talks about the orphanage and how badly the kids are treated, it reminded me of my mother when she used to threaten to take my brother to Mrs. Crab's house, a fictional character that she made up to keep him from doing bad behaviour. (event on pg 34)
6.10. Pirate always follows Kit and it reminded me of how stray animals seem to always follow me too. I'm not sure why, but I kind of enjoy the random furry company. (event on pg 42)
6.11. I'll never forget when my mother said that to me, I felt so loved and cherished as a child.
6.11.1. "I'm not one for pretty words but it was a blessed evenin' the day that you were born," Nan pg 45
6.12. This reminded me of the second season finale of my other favourite show Supernatural, because it was titled All Hell Breaks Loose.
6.12.1. "Then all hell broke loose," pg 51
6.13. This reminded me of a lyric in the Flyleaf song called Cassie, because it is exactly that quote (minus the reference to the character).
6.13.1. "Do you believe in God, Kit?" Doctor Hodgins pg 59
6.14. Her grandmother's quilt reminds me of the book Number the Stars because of the main character's mother made beautiful quilts out of pieces of fabric.
6.15. One time I rescued a baby bird when it had a broken wing. The next day it was gone, so I hope it flew away rather than getting eaten by something.
6.15.1. "One day Pirate was waiting outside the windowsill, he lunged and caught it in his mouth," pg 74
6.16. Like Kit, my friend Candace collects pieces of coloured glass she finds on all of the beaches she travels to. (event on pg 75)
6.17. I do that when my dog sleeps with me, it is the warmest spot to put my cold feet when I sleep.
6.17.1. "..shoving my feet down beneath the spot where he was lying," pg 75
6.18. This made me think of the events from Alice in Wonderland. To most people the things in that movie do not makes sense, but to Alice she is learning things about herself that she never knew before.
6.18.1. "Things that don't have reason until you attach reason to it," Sid pg 111
6.19. When I was young we lived in an old farmhouse that had miles of forest at the back. I remember always going there and picking the pussy willows because they were so soft.
6.19.1. "..by the bushes, picking pussy willows.." pg 131
6.20. I get paranoid of things like that all the time. I always think that something is wrong with me, whether my zipper to my pants is undone or I have a boger in my nose, something always feels off.
6.20.1. "..but I figured they'd all be too busy staring at my too-short hemline to notice a run in my stocking," pg 143
6.21. This made me think of the book The Chrysalids, because it is about the genocide of mutant people (in the future). The main character meets a girl with 6 toes, and makes sure that she doesn't get caught.
6.21.1. "You have webbed toes," Sid pg 149
6.22. This reminded me of the Billy Talent song Devil in a Midnight Mass because of the lyric, "The holy water in his hands, could never wash away his sins." It reminded me of the reverend.
6.22.1. "Could water ever cleanse a soul dirtied by shame?" Kit pg 151
6.23. This reminded me of the Red Queen's famous quote "Off with your head!"
6.23.1. "She's gone right off her head," Aunt Drucie pg 207