Rose, first born, becomes the fixer. She controls everything
except the one thing she wanted—to be her own person, an only child who
mattered before and after others. She was
afraid to venture out, try new things and let herself enjoy life. I am the
first born. This was never a problem for me. Opposite of the character Rose, I
always did what I wanted, much more Cordy than Rose. I believed that I could do anything, be
anybody. Staying home did not even cross
my mind. My second sister is much more
like Rose. She lives nearby my mother, takes care of everything and is the one
who is responsible. My sister next to me
moved away but continues to care about what goes on. I don’t think any of us were like Bean except
that we moved and tried to make a go if it.
Impressing others has never been nor probably ever will be a part of our
DNA!
Bean is a strange one. She is bright, has much to offer but
gets caught in the role of conspicuous consumer. This does not fit the role I would have
envisioned for any of the sisters in this family. Her family had not been one that was caught
up in the fads of society. Her parents
seem well grounded in community, happy together and happy with their family.
Maybe my lack of understanding of the second child comes into play here. I was
pleased that she did not lose her sense of justice in the end albeit the
morality aspect took her a bit longer!
Cordy is the baby. Ironically she also seems the most
grounded even though I think she spent very little time away from Barnwell
grounded—at least not emotionally. Like
so many youngest children I know she spent her youth trying to find her place
in the world. She states that the baby is the only thing that is truly hers,
not handed down from one sister to another. I am sure my sisters loved the fact
that there were five years between each of us so that hand-me downs typically
went to cousins and not to the next sister.
Cordy is genuine, a bit on the wild side and the one person who is in
touch with herself emotionally.
I enjoyed the parts of the book where each sister arrives at
the realization that she has something to offer and something to live for. I
love that Rose once she climbed those steps, never looked back. She found herself. I envision Cordy becoming not only a coffee
shop worker but expanding into her own bake shop that supplies the baked goods
that go with the coffee. I approve that Bean (Bianca) has found someone with
whom she can enjoy life. A man with a
child is infinitely better than a man with a wife! I think each sister has found her own
happiness, not necessarily where they imagined, but found it nonetheless.
Do I think that author had to give their mother cancer in
order to bring them together? No, but sickness has been known to bind families
in ways normal situations cannot. I like
to think the mother recovers and goes on to live a long life, watching each of
her daughters grow old. The father offers
such an example of love that I know they want to find that in their own lives
and I believe they have/will. My
favorite part of the mother/father relationship is that they have never spent a
night apart. A friend of mine is going
through a similar situation now. Her husband is her rock and I saw a bit of
their relationship in this story. They
have three sons and one daughter but the ideas resonate.
