Photo Credit: Goodreads
This is it- the last week of discussion for The Life List. It’s been a great month of discussion and I’m so proud and pleased! 🙂
Here is the previous weeks discussion- Week 1 and Week 2. And join us for November as we discuss Hush Little Baby!
Questions for Week 3
1. Brett and Brad- did you root for them to couple up? Or was there always a friend vibe between them?
2. Meeting Herbert (Dr. Moyer)- at first Brett is hesitant. The more she gets to know him, though, the more she likes him. Is Dr. Moyer the kind of man that Brett would be happy with?
3. Sanquita dies and makes Brett promise to take care of her baby. Why did Brett promise? Could you promise?
4. Brett meets her father. And as they get to know each other, Brett wonders why he did not come back after her parent’s divorce? Can you understand John’s reasons? Why didn’t Elizabeth reach out to him?
5. Joad is not happy about Brett adopting Austin. Why? Should Joad’s reaction to the adoption give Brett pause about adopting Austin? When her own flesh and blood thinks it’s a bad idea- does that mean anything? Or does it mean that Elizabeth failed Joad in some way? Did Elizabeth fail Joad in some way?
6. What did you think of the ending? Was it a good ending?
Traveling With T 
My question is about Brett’s mother’s house. Did she purchase it and live in it, our donate it to be the new shelter. I thought she made it their new home, until she referenced the brochures on the table as she left.
Kaira,
From what I remember, Elizabeth’s house was on Astor Street- and the shelter address was on Ulysses Street- I think that Brett left a brochure by her mom’s picture as a reminder of important things in her life- kind of a homage to Elizabeth leading her to the new life Brett lives.
Oh and TY for stopping by 🙂 🙂 I hope you can continue to find time to stop by!
1. Brett and Brad- I rooted for them a little, but wasn’t quite sure. Brad seemed like he was really interested in the other woman he was seeing and I wanted more than that for Brett. I did enjoy the chemistry and friendship and awkward make out session though lol! I would have been happy if they paired up, but I think the way it ended is even better!!
3. Sanquita dies and makes Brett promise to take care of her baby. Why did Brett promise? Could you promise?
I think that was a beautiful promise, but one that only should be made if you can follow through with it. Brett wholeheartedly did take care of her baby. I think it was so important to give the mom peace in her final moments and Brett fought for the best interest of that little girl. Could I? Yes, in a heartbeat.
4. Brett meets her father. And as they get to know each other, Brett wonders why he did not come back after her parent’s divorce? Can you understand John’s reasons? Why didn’t Elizabeth reach out to him?
I think Brett’s father and mother’s story is one of the saddest of the whole novel – two people who were so very in love, but who were forced apart to protect each other and her mother’s children. I understand why he stayed away – the greatest show of love is his willingness to walk away to protect the woman he loved from losing her children. I wish things had been different – that they had been able to reconnect and had gotten together after the man who raised Brett was out of the picture, but that would have made for a less interesting book. I loved the surprise of her having a different father! And one who loved her! I think Elizabeth did look for him later on, but had a partial last name and wasn’t able to find him. She probably felt some guilt and loss over the situation and assumed he had moved on. I love the realness of the situation and the dynamics between Brett and her new family – even feeling some jealousy over her younger sister until she met her. I think it’s a beautiful example of the complex nature of human emotions. It’s not that emotions are “gray” but that they are vibrant in many ways and that many times clashing feelings compete. I think the depth of the characters was beautifully portrayed in this novel
5. Joad is not happy about Brett adopting Austin. Why? Should Joad’s reaction to the adoption give Brett pause about adopting Austin? When her own flesh and blood thinks it’s a bad idea- does that mean anything? Or does it mean that Elizabeth failed Joad in some way? Did Elizabeth fail Joad in some way?
I think parenting, no matter how one decides to pursue it, is a very personal decision. I think it makes sense to talk to others about it, but the decision has to come from within. Sometimes friends and family do not understand adoption, fostering, etc. They may have issues with the process in general, or be trying to protect the person from some of the heartbreak if things go wrong with taking in a child that is not one’s own since there are a lot of legal implications. I don’t think Joad’s reaction should give Brett pause. I think it’s good she listens, but then makes her own decision. I loved that she adopted this baby and hope that gives other readers more courage to pursue paths beyond just the traditional.