Early Chapters: Margaret's Hostility

[Stephanie]

In Chapter 1, Colette Blake, a newcomer to the Blossom Street neighborhood and the shop, is welcomed by Lydia, but not by Margaret. Why do you think that is? Is Lydia right about the reasons for Margaret's hostility?

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Note: This topic refers to events through Chapter 14. Some readers of this thread may not have finished the book. If you are referring to events that occur after Chapter 14, please use "Spoiler Warning" in the subject line of your post. Thanks!

[KathyH]

I believed Margaret had some justification in being cautious, but she went way overboard for me! Lydia seemes to have good instincts. I know she had been nervious about even opening the shop in the first place, and her subsequent experiences were daunting, at best, but I had confidence in her insticts.

Margaret's knee-jerk reactions to things, like all of life, seem to be negative. While she gives one pause, I'm glad Lydia has moved more toward listening to what Margaret has to say and then weighing it for herself.

KathyH

[maxcat]

I think Margaret jumps the gun a bit here with Colette, but she also displays it when her daughter gets almost killed by someone who carjacked her car. She is a very negative person and a sourpuss to boot!

[Gail]

Margaret has, for the most part, been a negative, difficult person right from the start. I know authors tend to stress a characteristic for the sake of the story, but Margaret has always been difficult for me to like. I liked both the previous books, but have not yet read beyond the first chapter on this recent book. Margaret's attitude in the very first chapter has so turned me off, I don't know if I'll continue to read or just skim through.

I love Debbie's books, but too much negativity over the long haul causes me to put a book down and walk away. It's a shame because overall this has been an interesting series. I loved Susannah's Garden and am glad she is now next door to Lydia's shop.

[twinkbb42]

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Stephanie wrote:

In Chapter 1, Colette Blake, a newcomer to the Blossom Street neighborhood and the shop, is welcomed by Lydia, but not by Margaret. Why do you think that is? Is Lydia right about the reasons for Margaret's hostility?

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Reply to this message to discuss any of these topics. Or start your own new topic by clicking "New Message."

Note: This topic refers to events through Chapter 14. Some readers of this thread may not have finished the book. If you are referring to events that occur after Chapter 14, please use "Spoiler Warning" in the subject line of your post. Thanks!

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Margaret's attitude/reaction to Colette is so ridiculous, bordering on over-the-top. I just want to yell at the book and Margaret, "get over it and your negative attitude".

Margaret's attitude in this series has made it difficult to read at times, but overall, I've really liked all the books.

I understand Margaret's feelings toward Lydia and why she feels this way, but I cannot figure out how she became so distrustful with most people she meets. I'd love to have more of the "backstory" on Margaret to understand her better.

[Stephanie]

Gail,

I don't think you're going to find Margaret's negativity overwhelming in this novel- yes, she's negative and spends much of the novel in a "state" but the novel is not mainly about her, so I don't think you'll find it distracting.

[rjmwalters]

I agree with some of the others' comments. Margaret is generally a very negative person and Lydia is aware of this. That is why she wisely listens to her sister but makes her own decisions based on her judgement. I can't say that I dislike Margaret because we sometimes get a glimpse of the kindness in her but she does sometimes make me want to smack her! I don't know that there is any particular reason that Margaret is the way she is. Some people just always see the glass half empty. Julia

[KathyH]

Julia,

I completely understand the feeling like smacking!

KathyH

[patti322]

I think that Margaret was jealous of the relationship that Lydia and her father had and so she and her mother bacame closer. Now her mother is aging and not her old supportive self and Margaret is feeling alone. Let's hope she finds that in her sister. Margaret's negativity is frustrating but there is a message there...???

[Reenie5]

As much as I agree that Margaret is overly negative...I didn't let her character stop me from enjoying the others in the story any more than I would/do let negative people in real life bring me "down" with their negativity. The sad fact is, there are people in this world full of cinicisim and negative outlooks and I guess I just accept by now that Margaret is one of those folks. However, I find myself hoping with each Blossom Street book that she will start coping with life in a more positive way because my gut feeling is that she wants to be happier, but hasn't figured out that it's actually possible (though not easy) in spite of your past....to move forward in life toward real happiness.

Maureen

[johanna49]

As much as I agree that Margaret is overly negative...I didn't let her character stop me from enjoying the others in the story any more than I would/do let negative people in real life bring me "down" with their negativity. The sad fact is, there are people in this world full of cinicisim and negative outlooks and I guess I just accept by now that Margaret is one of those folks. However, I find myself hoping with each Blossom Street book that she will start coping with life in a more positive way because my gut feeling is that she wants to be happier, but hasn't figured out that it's actually possible (though not easy) in spite of your past....to move forward in life toward real happiness.

Maureen

Maureen,
You said wonderfully how I also feel about Margaret. There are negative people like that out in the world. Her character adds balance to the book.

[johanna49]

As much as I agree that Margaret is overly negative...I didn't let her character stop me from enjoying the others in the story any more than I would/do let negative people in real life bring me "down" with their negativity. The sad fact is, there are people in this world full of cinicisim and negative outlooks and I guess I just accept by now that Margaret is one of those folks.
Maureen

Maureen,
In the first part of your reply,you said wonderfully how I also feel about Margaret. There are negative people like that out in the world. Also her character adds balance to the book. Not everyone caqn be postive.

[johanna49]

Oops! I replied two times.

[johanna49]

I loved the way that Debbie MacComber started the narrative by Lydia. I felt like Lydia welcomed me into her shop and life. Wonderful start!!!

[Stephanie]

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patti322 wrote:
I think that Margaret was jealous of the relationship that Lydia and her father had and so she and her mother became closer. Now her mother is aging and not her old supportive self and Margaret is feeling alone. Let's hope she finds that in her sister. Margaret's negativity is frustrating but there is a message there...???

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Patti,

Good point about the possibility of a message for all of us in the characters. Margaret's negativity is one of my own pitfalls- when I get around someone like her, I do one of two things - run, or join. Lately I've been doing a lot more running, but in the past (when I was young and had more energy for complaining? Or thought people might care? ) I could fall right into that same trap.

[kiakar]

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Stephanie wrote:

In Chapter 1, Colette Blake, a newcomer to the Blossom Street neighborhood and the shop, is welcomed by Lydia, but not by Margaret. Why do you think that is? Is Lydia right about the reasons for Margaret's hostility?

---

Reply to this message to discuss any of these topics. Or start your own new topic by clicking "New Message."

Note: This topic refers to events through Chapter 14. Some readers of this thread may not have finished the book. If you are referring to events that occur after Chapter 14, please use "Spoiler Warning" in the subject line of your post. Thanks!

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Like I said before about Margaret, she is a piece of cake, that Margaret. She is so opininated . I couldn't be that cruel to people. That has to have hurt Colette's feelings. She wanted Lydia as a friend, but Margaret hurt her feelins so bad that she stopped going to the shop to have coffee with Lydia. No, I think everyone should deserve a chance, no matter how unlikely their story is.

[Marty50]

I think Margaret hasn't been really challenged to overcome sorrows in her life. Everyone eventually has experiences that require them to move on if they look around them to see who they are hurting, besides themselves. It isn't easy. Hopefully her experiences in this book will lead her to learn to be more sympathetic toward others like Colette.

[flynn31]

Hi this is Gloria:
I think Margaret is a person that likes suspense and drama and looks for it in people that appear without warning in her life or her sister's life.
Her distrusting nature has some merrit and to some degree she is right about Colette hiding something from her sister, but she is wrong to think that Colette is trying to use or abuse her sister in anyway.
Margaret just doesn't like things and people she doesn't know well.

[cascadegypsy]

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Stephanie wrote:

In Chapter 1, Colette Blake, a newcomer to the Blossom Street neighborhood and the shop, is welcomed by Lydia, but not by Margaret. Why do you think that is? Is Lydia right about the reasons for Margaret's hostility?

---

Reply to this message to discuss any of these topics. Or start your own new topic by clicking "New Message."

Note: This topic refers to events through Chapter 14. Some readers of this thread may not have finished the book. If you are referring to events that occur after Chapter 14, please use "Spoiler Warning" in the subject line of your post. Thanks!

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--- Spoiler Alert---

I think that Margaret tends to be negative in many ways because of the events in her life. Her sister was sick, and in many ways that impacted her life. Her father was busy caring for Lydia and was unavailable to Margaret alot of her life, and her mother had a hard time dealing with Lydia's sickness. this must have left Margaret feeling very alone, and scared for Lydia, and now she is what I would term as negatively protective over both Lydia and her daughters, which is shown by her reaction to Colette, and then later in how she reacts to the man who hijacks Julia.

[DebbieMacomber]

Dear Gail,

I hope you over came your dislike of Margaret and read the book. Margaret will always be over protective of Lydia. Her little sister has gone through two bouts of cancer and she stands guard over her.
She has a gentle side too and grows in the book. Please tell me you didn't give up on the story.

Debbie

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Gail wrote:
Margaret has, for the most part, been a negative, difficult person right from the start. I know authors tend to stress a characteristic for the sake of the story, but Margaret has always been difficult for me to like. I liked both the previous books, but have not yet read beyond the first chapter on this recent book. Margaret's attitude in the very first chapter has so turned me off, I don't know if I'll continue to read or just skim through.

I love Debbie's books, but too much negativity over the long haul causes me to put a book down and walk away. It's a shame because overall this has been an interesting series. I loved Susannah's Garden and am glad she is now next door to Lydia's shop.

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