Please discuss the ending of the novel, what the overall lesson learned was, and how it connects to you in your personal life.
Towards the end of the novel, Natalie goes back home early for Christmas break. Bree had just died and Natalie just needed some time to herself at home. At home, Natalie helps her mom to make and sell cheese. While at the market, Natalie runs into Jake and they talk about her blindness and if she will ever go back to Western Allegany High School, and student council.
Meredith visits Natalie and the two soon have a sleepover. Natalie's parents leave for the night to go to a dinner, so its just Natalie and Meredith at home. Natalie and Meredith hand out in the barn with the goats and take care of Nuisance who is about to have her baby. While Nuisance is giving birth, Natalie and Meredith are surprised by a banging noise at the door. Its a bear! The bear can smell the scents from the birth. Meredith and Natalie are surprised and Natalie remembers that her dad keeps a shotgun in the barn. Natalie quickly finds and loads it and gives the gun to Meredith, who then shots the bear twice. At the end of the novel, Natalie goes back to school and reunites with her friends. Natalie and her friends are visiting college campuses at the end of the novel.
The overall lesson of this book was to conquer your fear. Natalie had the fear of going blind, and when she did, she kind of felt prepared. Even though the events that happened to her were sad and scary, they prepared Natalie for the hardships of life. This book connects to my personal life because like Natalie losing Bree, I lost people in my life that were important as well. My two uncles died from alcoholism. My family was very grief-stricken when they died. My family learned to keep moving on. You can't "not live" because something happened to you. Things happen all the time. It's a part of life.
Towards the end of the novel, Natalie goes back home early for Christmas break. Bree had just died and Natalie just needed some time to herself at home. At home, Natalie helps her mom to make and sell cheese. While at the market, Natalie runs into Jake and they talk about her blindness and if she will ever go back to Western Allegany High School, and student council.
Meredith visits Natalie and the two soon have a sleepover. Natalie's parents leave for the night to go to a dinner, so its just Natalie and Meredith at home. Natalie and Meredith hand out in the barn with the goats and take care of Nuisance who is about to have her baby. While Nuisance is giving birth, Natalie and Meredith are surprised by a banging noise at the door. Its a bear! The bear can smell the scents from the birth. Meredith and Natalie are surprised and Natalie remembers that her dad keeps a shotgun in the barn. Natalie quickly finds and loads it and gives the gun to Meredith, who then shots the bear twice. At the end of the novel, Natalie goes back to school and reunites with her friends. Natalie and her friends are visiting college campuses at the end of the novel.
The overall lesson of this book was to conquer your fear. Natalie had the fear of going blind, and when she did, she kind of felt prepared. Even though the events that happened to her were sad and scary, they prepared Natalie for the hardships of life. This book connects to my personal life because like Natalie losing Bree, I lost people in my life that were important as well. My two uncles died from alcoholism. My family was very grief-stricken when they died. My family learned to keep moving on. You can't "not live" because something happened to you. Things happen all the time. It's a part of life.