And here's the summary:
Annie John, the protagonist of the book, starts out as a young girl who worships her mother. She follows her everywhere, and is shocked and hurt when she learns that she must some day live in a different house from her mother. While her mother tries to teach her to become a lady, Annie is sent to a new school where she must prove herself intellectually and make new friends. She then "falls in love" with a girl by the name of Gwen. She promises Gwen that she will always love her. However, Annie later finds herself admiring and adoring a girl that she called the "Red Girl". She admires this girl in all aspects of her life. To Annie this girl is the meaning of freedom because she does not have to do any daily hygienic routines like the other girls.
Annie John is then moved to a higher class because of her intelligence. For this reason, Annie is drawn away from her best friend Gwen and the Red Girl, while alienating herself from her mother and the other adults in her life. It later becomes clear that she also suffers from some kind of mental depression, which distances her from both her family and her friends. The book ends with her physically distancing herself away from all that she knows and loves by leaving home for nursing school in England.
- Let me start by saying that one description I saw of this book likened it to Catcher in the Rye. I hated that book. I even tried to read some of Salinger's other works and couldn't stand them either. Buuuut, in the interest of growing with my worldly reading endeavor, I decided to go for it anyway. Yay, me.
- The first line is "[f]or a short while during the year I was ten, I thought only people I did not know died." Interestingly enough, I really identify with this and I've been thinking about it lately. Back home, I would sing at funerals...it was always a bit sad, but not a big deal. But every once in a while, I think about the people I love dying...and it's freaking terrifying. Like panic-inducing. We'll see where this one goes.
- Though I'm only a few pages in, we're heavily focusing on a theme of death.
- The main character digresses, and as punishment her mum tells her she won't be in to kiss her goodnight. I remember, when I was small, having my mum tuck me in and saying that my dad would be up in "just a second." And I would say "No just a seconds" because I'd be asleep when he came up to say goodnight. Now that I'm older I appreciate it much more...Dad working hard to support six kids so Mum could stay home and raise us. At the time I would get all small-child-frustrated, but now I smile when I think about it.
- I'm a little confused about the relationships with the other girls.
- There's a really great description of depression in this book. She says it's like a black thimble spinning around inside her, burning everything it touches.
- The last couple of chapters got a little vague. Annie gets sick, so it's understandable that it's vague, but all of a sudden it's about 5 years later and she's leaving
- As we follow Annie to the ship, she reminisces about her childhood as she walks through town. She's happy about the decision she's made to leave, but starting to think about all the things she'll miss. I completely understand this; when Soldier and I knew we'd be leaving, I just wanted to get out. When I found out we were going somewhere I wasn't excited about, I started to see all the things I would miss.
- Annie's relationship with her mother runs the gamut during the book, but they did have a nice goodbye before she leaves. Not gonna lie, it made me tear up. I miss my momma.
I've really lucked out on the books I've picked. There were a couple of times that I was a little annoyed with the ADD feel of the book, but it wasn't as bad as Salinger. I almost wish the book had been longer to see if she ever went back or regretted severing ties. Families are complicated.
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