Dickinson's Family

[danikl]

While I would have liked to know more details of Amy's family, I got the feeling that they were "Mighty" due to the support they got from each other. I could relate to Amy and her "Mighty Queens" by my own life experiences.

[gl]

I agree that it would have been even richer if the book had fleshed out the description of her family and their shared experiences. I expected to relate to the bonding and their closeness but feel that you didn't get to know enough about the other characters. 

[aprilh]

I have to wonder, if there was more written about the other Mighty Queens would it have overshadowed the relationship between Amy and Emily?

[Peppermill]

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aprilh wrote:
I have to wonder, if there was more written about the other Mighty Queens would it have overshadowed the relationship between Amy and Emily?

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April -- Depends on how it was done.  It need not necessarily have done so, although it probably would have been a more difficult book to write, requiring both more research and more rewriting.  Nor, do I think the title necessarily implied that the book was primarily about Amy and Emily, at least that was not my expectation from either the title or the book blurbs, although the point is well taken that they, too, are Mighty Queens of Freeville.

Amy has explained why she has written as she has -- respect the requests of living persons.  I think at this point we each probably serve ourselves best by simply accepting that and enjoying what we have received, whatever our expectations or desires might have been -- or perhaps even still are.  On the other hand, I also think it is totally fair to write a review that calls this aspect of the book to the attention of future potential readers.

Pepper

[Stephanie]

I think the line of thought regarding the "Mighty Queens" of Amy's extended family follows Amy's own viewpoint perfectly: "We are what we do."   Her mother set an amazing example for her- rather than "throw her ring in the creek" or toss in the towel and give up when her husband left her with a passel of children and a mountain of debt, she worked hard, went back to school and made an even better life for herself.  No words necessary there for me- her actions from the past showed Amy what she needed to do, and her actions show all of us what to do. 

[Tarri]

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Stephanie wrote:
I think the line of thought regarding the "Mighty Queens" of Amy's extended family follows Amy's own viewpoint perfectly: "We are what we do."   Her mother set an amazing example for her- rather than "throw her ring in the creek" or toss in the towel and give up when her husband left her with a passel of children and a mountain of debt, she worked hard, went back to school and made an even better life for herself.  No words necessary there for me- her actions from the past showed Amy what she needed to do, and her actions show all of us what to do. 

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I love that!  "We are what we do."  So simple, so true.