PART THREE: The Choice

[KxBurns]

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mrsvaljones wrote:
I have to agree that that was the most irritating part of the book. I could just not take the back and forth between her consciences and Alfred. It was almost unbearable and my least favorite part of the book by millions of miles. I kept thinking okay we know the answer already was drag this out. Other than those fews pages the rest of the story flowed so nicely, it was easy reading.

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I liked it but I can understand your frustration with Grace's lack of focus here. Do you think it represents a problem that is kind of chronic with her, where she's not fully present in her own life?

[KathyS]

Just a thought.....
As the reader, there were times when I had to re-read, just to make sure I wasn't 'slipping' into another character's voice, other than who Kate had intended for me to read...During this time, also, Grace was having more and more trouble with focus, and it was important [to me] to stay with her. Although this story, the way it was written, didn't allow for much thought wandering...thankfully, Kate kept my mind on the business of hearing from these characters.
K.

[fordmg]

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Tarri wrote:
I wonder what would have happened if in the preceding chapter Grace had not promised Hannah to stay with her forever. I think she would have married Alfred and lived happily ever after.

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Why do you think it would be happily ever after. Alfred comes with a lot of baggage - the war. Also, if Alfred knew that Grace was Frederick's daughter, I think he would try to exploit that.
MG

[KathyS]

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fordmg wrote:

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Tarri wrote:
I wonder what would have happened if in the preceding chapter Grace had not promised Hannah to stay with her forever. I think she would have married Alfred and lived happily ever after.

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Why do you think it would be happily ever after. Alfred comes with a lot of baggage - the war. Also, if Alfred knew that Grace was Frederick's daughter, I think he would try to exploit that.
MG

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Fordmg,what is your reason to believe Alfred would exploit the issue concerning Frederick being Grace's father?
K.

[Brach12]

Since I read this chapter, I 've wondered why would Grace choose a lifetime of service to Hannah when Alfred asked her to marry her. Or could of it simply been her mind was "racing" with thoughts of whom her father was, that her decision was based on the excitement of her possibly being Hannah's sister.

[fordmg]

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KathyS wrote:

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fordmg wrote:

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Tarri wrote:
I wonder what would have happened if in the preceding chapter Grace had not promised Hannah to stay with her forever. I think she would have married Alfred and lived happily ever after.

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Why do you think it would be happily ever after. Alfred comes with a lot of baggage - the war. Also, if Alfred knew that Grace was Frederick's daughter, I think he would try to exploit that.
MG

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Fordmg,what is your reason to believe Alfred would exploit the issue concerning Frederick being Grace's father?
K.

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If Albert knew that Frederick was Grace's father, he might ask for something to keep it secret, or he may tell the world anyway to bring shame on the family. Obviously he has no loyalty to the service.
MG

[Librarian]

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fordmg wrote:

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KathyS wrote:

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fordmg wrote:

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Tarri wrote:
I wonder what would have happened if in the preceding chapter Grace had not promised Hannah to stay with her forever. I think she would have married Alfred and lived happily ever after.

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Why do you think it would be happily ever after. Alfred comes with a lot of baggage - the war. Also, if Alfred knew that Grace was Frederick's daughter, I think he would try to exploit that.
MG

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Fordmg,what is your reason to believe Alfred would exploit the issue concerning Frederick being Grace's father?
K.

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If Albert knew that Frederick was Grace's father, he might ask for something to keep it secret, or he may tell the world anyway to bring shame on the family. Obviously he has no loyalty to the service.
MG

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Hi------I can't see Alfred as being that way toward Grace. He may have no loyalty to the service but I think he does feel more than loyalty toward Grace and would never hurt her as such blackmail tactics would.
Librarian

[KxBurns]

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Librarian wrote:

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fordmg wrote:
If Albert knew that Frederick was Grace's father, he might ask for something to keep it secret, or he may tell the world anyway to bring shame on the family. Obviously he has no loyalty to the service.
MG

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Hi------I can't see Alfred as being that way toward Grace. He may have no loyalty to the service but I think he does feel more than loyalty toward Grace and would never hurt her as such blackmail tactics would.
Librarian

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I agree, Librarian - I don't doubt that Alfred would not be as accepting of the current situation as Grace if he knew the truth about her paternity. But I don't think blackmail is in keeping with his character. His objections to the service life are ideological and I just don't get the sense that, for all the changes in him, he's malicious in that way.

Message Edited by KxBurns on 01-29-2008 01:51 PM

[m3girl]

Notes from the chapter.

1. It is time for Hannah to figure it out about her mother and Frederick. Unfortunately it is also at the same time Alfred proposes. I wonder what would have happened if he proposed before she figured it out - like at the theater - and how that would have changed the story. She probably would not have been around for the big event...with Robbie.

2. This time there is an attempt - Alfred's proposal - to get her mind off of the subject once again and prevent her from figuring out who her father really is...but it doesn't work. And Alfred is too caught up in his proposal to see it and knock her back to reality this time.

3. She says yes - but then has to change her mind as she can't leave Hannah - not right now. She needs to stay and figure things out - because now they are sisters and that may change everything. I do not think Hannah knows about the relationship between Grace and Frederick. And I do look forward to seeing how she deals with the news...and how Grace tells her....and if Grace tells her.

[Peppermill]

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m3girl wrote:
Notes from the chapter.

1. It is time for Hannah to figure it out about her mother and Frederick. Unfortunately it is also at the same time Alfred proposes. I wonder what would have happened if he proposed before she figured it out - like at the theater - and how that would have changed the story. She probably would not have been around for the big event...with Robbie.

2. This time there is an attempt - Alfred's proposal - to get her mind off of the subject once again and prevent her from figuring out who her father really is...but it doesn't work. And Alfred is too caught up in his proposal to see it and knock her back to reality this time.

3. She says yes - but then has to change her mind as she can't leave Hannah - not right now. She needs to stay and figure things out - because now they are sisters and that may change everything. I do not think Hannah knows about the relationship between Grace and Frederick. And I do look forward to seeing how she deals with the news...and how Grace tells her....and if Grace tells her.

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I presume you mean "Grace" in your first point? Do you presume Frederick is both Grace and Hannah's father? (I do, but otherwise has been posited on these boards.)

Interestingly, Morton wrote that she considered that Grace might never figure out her patrimony, but that the readers would. That is/would have been quite a trick to accomplish with first person narrator, it seems to me.

[HannibalCat]

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kiakar wrote:

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seattle07 wrote:
I also thought it was interesting that Katie and Alfred (who are both similiar to Grace in age) have challenged the status quo and moved on. I wonder if Grace goes on to get her doctorate as a way to prove to Alfred that she is capable of rising above the circumstances of her birth.
I really wanted Grace to marry Alfred and I also agree with other posters that a) she didn't have to decide right away and b) Alfred wouldn't have made Hannah go public with the fact that they are sisters. I do think that Frederick is her father but I haven't decided if Hannah knows. She's smart but she's also preoccupied with her own issues.

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I certainly agree with your post.

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Me too!I don't think Grace got her doctorate to prove anything to anyone else, though. I think she got it for herself and to prove that she could. She always wanted more, even though at specific times she was not aware of it. She allowed a lie to stay in place because it advanced her first desire for more (getting close to Hannah), she had to say with Hannah to hold onto her second desire for more, (being like a sister to Hannah) and she knew she would lose all that with Alfred. Her stronger desire was to be part of Hannah's life. But I was wishing she would marry Alfred and improve her life with him. I guess we did get involved in Grace's life, didn't we?

[HannibalCat]

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Linda10 wrote:
For what it's worth, I'm really disappointed in Grace's "choice" in this chapter. If people chose not to marry because they didn't want to leave their sibling(s), no matter how close the bond, the world would have died out a long time ago. I've loved Alfred all throughout this book. If he had asked me to marry him, I would have said "yes" -- hands down! I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic.

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Good point! If we weren't hopeless romantics, we wouldn't care what happened to Alfred and Grace.