the thread: Can a Promise Made Before We Truly Understand It Shape the Person We Become? > Likes and Comments
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One thing that stayed with me was how Coleen never seemed to fit neatly into the boxes other people expected her to occupy. She could be stubborn enough to argue with the world one moment, then unexpectedly thoughtful the next.
I laughed at some of the things she said because they felt so unapologetically her, but somewhere along the way I realised I wasn't just laughing at her adventures. I was quietly rooting for her to keep becoming the person she believed she could be, especially when life kept giving her reasons not to.
It made me wonder whether growing up is really about changing who we are, or about having the courage to remain ourselves when that becomes the harder choice.
Louis, I really liked what you said about Coleen refusing to let other people decide who she should be. That made me think about something else. What impressed me wasn't just that she stood her ground, but that she didn't lose her sense of humour while doing it.
Some of the funniest moments came when she answered difficult situations with wit instead of bitterness. That balance made her feel like a real person rather than someone who was simply written to inspire us.
Something I've been wondering about is the promise at the heart of Coleen's story.
Do you think she would have become the same person if that promise had never existed? Or was it the promise itself that quietly shaped the way she responded to every challenge that came her way?
I kept going back and forth on that while reading.
Something I've been wondering about is the promise at the heart of Coleen's story.
Do you think she would have become the same person if that promise had never existed? Or was it the promise itself that quietly shaped the way she responded to every challenge that came her way?
I kept going back and forth on that while reading.
"hat's an interesting question, but I'm not sure the promise deserves all the credit. I actually think Coleen would have challenged expectations regardless.
The promise may have given her direction, but her courage, stubbornness, and quick thinking already seemed woven into who she was.
For me, the promise revealed her character more than it created it.
One thing I really appreciated about Michael's writing is that he trusted readers to discover these ideas for themselves.
The novel never felt like it was trying to lecture me about courage or resilience. Instead, those themes emerged naturally through Coleen's experiences, which made them much more memorable.
That's not always easy to achieve in a coming-of-age novel.
There's one line that has stayed with me ever since I finished the book: 'Ignore it, Roll with it or Fight it tooth and nail.' It feels simple at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to describe so many decisions we all face in life.
I think that's one of the reasons the story lingered with me long after I'd turned the final page.
What impressed me most was the voice. Coleen never sounded like a character trying to impress the reader. She sounded like herself: funny, fearless, occasionally contradictory, and completely believable.
Writing a first-person narrator who feels that authentic is a remarkable achievement, and I think that's what made the emotional moments land so well.
I really liked what Anna, said about courage shaping who we become. But I also think courage isn't always loud. Sometimes Coleen's greatest strength seemed to be knowing when not to waste her energy.
That surprised me because I expected a rebellious character to fight every battle, yet she seemed to understand that choosing your battles is part of growing up.
I actually saw it a little differently. Several people have described Coleen as courageous, and I agree, but I also wondered whether her determination occasionally made life harder than it needed to be. I found myself asking whether every fight was necessary or whether some situations simply called for patience.
That tension made the character feel more believable to me.
One thing I'll definitely take away from this book is that question Coleen keeps asking herself: ignore it, roll with it, or fight it. I don't think I've ever consciously thought about difficult situations that way before.
The next time I face conflict at work or with family, I might actually stop and ask myself which of those three responses is the wisest instead of reacting immediately.
Something occurred to me while reading everyone's comments. We keep talking about promises, but perhaps the most important promise in the novel isn't the one made at the naming ceremony.
Maybe it's the quiet promise we make to ourselves about the kind of person we're trying to become. I don't know if that's what Michael intended, but it's how the story spoke to me.
Michael, I'd love to ask you something. Coleen's voice feels so natural that it almost seems like she's telling you the story rather than the other way around.
Were there moments while writing when she surprised you by saying or doing something you hadn't originally planned? If so, did those moments change the direction of the novel?
Can I admit something? I enjoyed the book, but there were a couple of moments where I wasn't completely sure I understood what was happening beneath the surface.
It felt like there were ideas or connections I was probably missing.
Michael, if you have a reading guide or some notes about the themes, I'd genuinely love to read them because I have a feeling there's even more here than I picked up on the first read.
I'm glad someone else said that because I felt something similar. The story works perfectly well on its own, but it also feels like there are layers that become clearer when you discuss them with other readers.
If there's a reading guide available, perhaps Michael could share it with the moderator so everyone who wants to explore the book more deeply can benefit from it.
One thing I really admire is how Michael allows ordinary moments to carry emotional weight. There aren't constant dramatic events demanding your attention. Instead, the relationships, conversations, and small decisions gradually build into something much bigger.
That takes confidence as a writer because it asks readers to slow down and really pay attention.
I do want to challenge one idea that's come up several times. We've talked a lot about staying true to yourself, but I wondered whether there are times when changing yourself is actually a sign of growth rather than compromise.
I don't think the novel gives an easy answer, and maybe that's exactly why it stayed with me.
Reading everyone's thoughts has reminded me that Counting Freckles is one of those novels that becomes richer through conversation. Different readers notice different things, and somehow all of those perspectives seem to fit together.
To me, that's one of the strongest compliments a book can receive. It doesn't end when you close it; it keeps asking questions long afterwards.
I'm probably going to be the odd one out here, but I have to be honest.
Everyone keeps talking about the deeper themes, the promise, the symbolism, the choices Coleen makes... and I'm sitting here thinking, "Did I miss half the book?" 😅
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it, but I also felt like there were layers I couldn't quite reach on my own. There were moments where I knew something important was happening beneath the surface, but I couldn't fully connect the dots. That's actually a little frustrating because I don't like finishing a book feeling as though the author knows I've missed something... and I'm pretty sure you do!
So, Michael, can I make a genuine request?
Please consider putting together a reading guide for Counting Freckles. I honestly think this is one of those books that would benefit enormously from one. A good reading guide doesn't explain the novel away. It opens doors that some readers don't even realise are there.
In fact, I'm seriously considering buying several copies for some of my students because I think there's plenty here that's worth discussing in advanced literary study. But I'd struggle to use it in that setting without a reading guide to help structure the conversations and point readers toward the bigger ideas. I'd rather not spend an entire lesson wondering whether we've all interpreted the same chapter in completely different ways!
It would be a shame if readers walked away thinking, "That was a good story," when there's clearly so much more beneath it. Without a reading guide, I think some of the novel's richness risks being overlooked, and that would be a real loss because discussions like this have already shown there's far more going on than first meets the eye.
And here's the slightly ironic part: the best reading guides don't tell readers what to think. They simply stop us from confidently missing the point. That's a pretty valuable job for a few extra pages.
If creating one feels like a lot to take on, perhaps you could reach out to the moderator who introduced Counting Freckles to this group. They already seem to have a strong grasp of the book's themes, and together you might be able to put something together that would help future readers get even more out of the novel.
I'd genuinely love to see that happen.
Eva, I'm actually really glad you brought this up because I thought I was the only one feeling that way.
The reality is, I don't have the luxury of sitting down for hours at a time with a book anymore. Between work, family, and everything else life throws at us, I'm usually reading in short bursts whenever I can find twenty or thirty minutes. I imagine a lot of readers are in the same boat.
That's why Counting Freckles challenged me in a different way. It isn't the kind of book you can just rush through and expect to catch everything. Every time I came back to it, I felt like there were connections I probably should have noticed but didn't because I'd had to put the book down and pick it up again later.
So I'd also love to add my voice to Eva's request.
Michael, I really do think a reading guide would make a huge difference. Not because readers need the book explained to them, but because it would help us hold on to the threads that make the story so rich, especially when we're reading around busy lives instead of in one uninterrupted sitting.
In a way, a reading guide almost becomes a conversation partner. It reminds you of what to look for, points you toward questions you might not have asked yourself, and helps you reconnect with the story each time you return to it.
I honestly think it would encourage people not only to finish the book, but to appreciate it on a much deeper level.
If putting one together seems like a big project, perhaps you could work with the moderator who introduced the book to this group. They already seem to have a wonderful understanding of the novel's layers, and I think the two of you could create something that would benefit every future reader.
I'd certainly be first in line to use it.
Just to let everyone know, A guide will be arriving very shortly. I am currently recovering from a broken collarbone (perhaps I shouldn't have fallen off of my bicycle) so I'm running at slow speed.
Mike
James wrote: "Michael, I'd love to ask you something. Coleen's voice feels so natural that it almost seems like she's telling you the story rather than the other way around.
Were there moments while writing wh..."
Coleen indeed does go on and tell her own story. Some of the events can trace their history back to events that Have happened in my own life. I have not ever been left "Holding the baby" but it occurred to me that , when Coleen made the promise at a young age, she thought about what she was doing so that she was sure she could deliver on it. Joshua and Coleen seemed to bond when he was born and that was the point at which her character began to firm up and change into the person that was entirely capable of being a mother figure to the little boy.
Oh, that's wonderful news, Mike. Thank you for letting us know. I think the guide will add a whole new dimension to a book that's already sparked some fascinating conversations here. More importantly though, I hope your collarbone heals quickly. Bicycles do have an unfortunate habit of reminding us who's really in charge! Wishing you a smooth recovery.
Well, I certainly wasn't expecting the reading guide to become real this quickly! That's genuinely brilliant news. Please don't feel under pressure to rush it though. We'd much rather have you recover properly first. Looking forward to reading it whenever you're comfortably back on your feet. Take care of yourself.
That's made my day, if I'm honest. I think the discussion has already shown how much there is to unpack in Counting Freckles, so having your own thoughts to accompany it will be invaluable. That said, I think you've earned a little patience from all of us after an encounter with the pavement! Wishing you a speedy recovery, Mike.
Thank you, Mike. That's incredibly generous of you. I suspect future readers will benefit just as much as those of us taking part in this discussion. I hope the collarbone mends well. Perhaps let the bicycle do the waiting for a little while this time.
Delighted to hear it, Mike. A reading guide coming directly from the author is about as good as it gets, so I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime, please focus on getting yourself back to full strength. Books can wait a little; broken collarbones really shouldn't. Wishing you a swift and uncomplicated recovery.
Something has been bothering me since finishing the book. We often celebrate people who refuse to 'go with the flow,' but we rarely ask what it costs them. Coleen pays a price for being herself. It made me wonder whether authenticity is something we admire most in hindsight because we're not the ones paying the price. Michael, was that something you wanted readers to wrestle with?
As someone who spends a lot of time around young people, I kept thinking this isn't really a story about teenagers. It's a story about character formation. The older I've become, the more I've realised that adulthood isn't one big decision, it's hundreds of tiny ones. Coleen reminded me that character is built long before anyone notices it.
I probably read this book differently because I'm a parent. I wasn't only watching Coleen grow, I kept wondering what kind of environment creates someone brave enough to remain kind without becoming naïve. That balance is incredibly difficult to teach.
I'm going to challenge something that's been said throughout this discussion.
Everyone keeps calling Coleen resilient.
I think resilience is actually the wrong word.
Resilience suggests surviving.
What I saw was someone actively choosing the kind of person she wanted to become despite everything around her.
That's something much deeper
Michael, one thing fascinated me.
Coleen's narration feels spontaneous, yet structurally it's incredibly disciplined.
How many drafts did it take before you found her voice?
Or did she arrive almost fully formed?
I smiled when I discovered that Bank Top Farm existed before Coleen did.
Usually we think characters build worlds.
Here it almost feels as though the world was patiently waiting for her to arrive.
That's a fascinating way to build fiction.
Can I confess something?
For the first few chapters I thought I knew exactly where this novel was going.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Somewhere along the way I stopped reading for the plot and started reading because I simply wanted to spend more time with Coleen.
That's surprisingly rare.
I've been thinking about why this discussion has become so lively.
I don't think it's because everyone interpreted the book in the same way.
Quite the opposite.
We've disagreed about courage.
We've disagreed about promises.
We've disagreed about resilience.
Yet somehow every interpretation still seems to belong inside the novel.
That's what good literature does.
It doesn't hand readers answers.
It creates enough space for thoughtful people to keep asking better questions.
Michael, thank you for writing a book that trusted us enough to have this conversation
Carol wrote: "Something has been bothering me since finishing the book. We often celebrate people who refuse to 'go with the flow,' but we rarely ask what it costs them. Coleen pays a price for being herself. It..."
Yahya wrote: "Something occurred to me while reading everyone's comments. We keep talking about promises, but perhaps the most important promise in the novel isn't the one made at the naming ceremony.
Maybe it..."
we all pay the price for being who we are. Coleen considered what she was doing and whether she would be able to do what she'd promised well before he naming ceremony. What she got was initial opposition from those in authority, and threats from the birth parents. Both of these were outweighed multiple times over by the unconditional love she got back from Joshua, the boy who was totally blameless in all of the events of the book. He didn't decide to be born, but bonded with Coleen the moment he was. Without that aspect and her general nature to go her own way, Coleen could well have been badly hurt by her experience. As it was, she came out of it more or less unscathed.
Maverick wrote: "I've been thinking about why this discussion has become so lively.
I don't think it's because everyone interpreted the book in the same way.
Quite the opposite.
We've disagreed about courage.
W..."If you want coleen's viewpoint on how the experience affects her and what she's learned. It's there in the last but one chapter.
Tamera wrote: "Michael, one thing fascinated me.
Coleen's narration feels spontaneous, yet structurally it's incredibly disciplined.
How many drafts did it take before you found her voice?
Or did she arrive al..."The idea for Coleen as a character was one of those "What if" moments. What if the daughter of one of the founders of Bank Top had a daughter herself. She'd be around twelve if the master timeline was going to work. I've written a couple of books from a first person viewpoint but more or less knew that the voice of a twelve year old may be difficult. I still went and wrote the thing though, and handed it to my wife to read. She at least has been a twelve year old girl at some point and she liked the story so I edited it several times to hone the voice and the basics remain the same. Coleen Phillips is now one of the many characters that wander around my skull.
Ann wrote: "Oh, that's wonderful news, Mike. Thank you for letting us know. I think the guide will add a whole new dimension to a book that's already sparked some fascinating conversations here. More important..."
I,m very close to posting a short guide to the book which will go for free distribution (unless people want a hard copy.
Tamera wrote: "Michael, one thing fascinated me.
Coleen's narration feels spontaneous, yet structurally it's incredibly disciplined.
How many drafts did it take before you found her voice?
Or did she arrive al..."Coleen's basic character landed on me pretty much as she appears in the book Mos of my characters have a habit of doing that. Later this year my next book "Strange Affairs will see a slightly older but not necessarily much wiser Coleen follow further through on the promise she made to a baby that could not either walk or talk but for whom she felt an unconditional love for. Whether she does or whether she goes under is a matter of speculation.
Eva wrote: "I'm probably going to be the odd one out here, but I have to be honest.
Everyone keeps talking about the deeper themes, the promise, the symbolism, the choices Coleen makes... and I'm sitting here..."
I have a reader guide more or less ready and will be posting it soon.
I just wanted to ask, have you had a chance to send the reading guide to the moderator yet? Ever since you mentioned it, I've been looking forward to reading it because I think it'll add another layer to a book that's already generated some brilliant conversations.
I honestly can't wait for it to be shared with the rest of us here. From everything you've said, it sounds like it'll be a wonderful companion to the novel, and I have a feeling quite a few of us will be reading Counting Freckles again with fresh eyes once it's available.
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One thing that stayed with me was how Coleen never seemed to fit neatly into the boxes other people expected her to occupy. She could be stubborn enough to argue with the world one moment, then unexpectedly thoughtful the next. I laughed at some of the things she said because they felt so unapologetically her, but somewhere along the way I realised I wasn't just laughing at her adventures. I was quietly rooting for her to keep becoming the person she believed she could be, especially when life kept giving her reasons not to.
It made me wonder whether growing up is really about changing who we are, or about having the courage to remain ourselves when that becomes the harder choice.
Louis, I really liked what you said about Coleen refusing to let other people decide who she should be. That made me think about something else. What impressed me wasn't just that she stood her ground, but that she didn't lose her sense of humour while doing it. Some of the funniest moments came when she answered difficult situations with wit instead of bitterness. That balance made her feel like a real person rather than someone who was simply written to inspire us.
Something I've been wondering about is the promise at the heart of Coleen's story. Do you think she would have become the same person if that promise had never existed? Or was it the promise itself that quietly shaped the way she responded to every challenge that came her way?
I kept going back and forth on that while reading.
Something I've been wondering about is the promise at the heart of Coleen's story. Do you think she would have become the same person if that promise had never existed? Or was it the promise itself that quietly shaped the way she responded to every challenge that came her way?
I kept going back and forth on that while reading.
"hat's an interesting question, but I'm not sure the promise deserves all the credit. I actually think Coleen would have challenged expectations regardless. The promise may have given her direction, but her courage, stubbornness, and quick thinking already seemed woven into who she was.
For me, the promise revealed her character more than it created it.
One thing I really appreciated about Michael's writing is that he trusted readers to discover these ideas for themselves. The novel never felt like it was trying to lecture me about courage or resilience. Instead, those themes emerged naturally through Coleen's experiences, which made them much more memorable.
That's not always easy to achieve in a coming-of-age novel.
There's one line that has stayed with me ever since I finished the book: 'Ignore it, Roll with it or Fight it tooth and nail.' It feels simple at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to describe so many decisions we all face in life. I think that's one of the reasons the story lingered with me long after I'd turned the final page.
What impressed me most was the voice. Coleen never sounded like a character trying to impress the reader. She sounded like herself: funny, fearless, occasionally contradictory, and completely believable. Writing a first-person narrator who feels that authentic is a remarkable achievement, and I think that's what made the emotional moments land so well.
I really liked what Anna, said about courage shaping who we become. But I also think courage isn't always loud. Sometimes Coleen's greatest strength seemed to be knowing when not to waste her energy. That surprised me because I expected a rebellious character to fight every battle, yet she seemed to understand that choosing your battles is part of growing up.
I actually saw it a little differently. Several people have described Coleen as courageous, and I agree, but I also wondered whether her determination occasionally made life harder than it needed to be. I found myself asking whether every fight was necessary or whether some situations simply called for patience. That tension made the character feel more believable to me.
One thing I'll definitely take away from this book is that question Coleen keeps asking herself: ignore it, roll with it, or fight it. I don't think I've ever consciously thought about difficult situations that way before. The next time I face conflict at work or with family, I might actually stop and ask myself which of those three responses is the wisest instead of reacting immediately.
Something occurred to me while reading everyone's comments. We keep talking about promises, but perhaps the most important promise in the novel isn't the one made at the naming ceremony. Maybe it's the quiet promise we make to ourselves about the kind of person we're trying to become. I don't know if that's what Michael intended, but it's how the story spoke to me.
Michael, I'd love to ask you something. Coleen's voice feels so natural that it almost seems like she's telling you the story rather than the other way around. Were there moments while writing when she surprised you by saying or doing something you hadn't originally planned? If so, did those moments change the direction of the novel?
Can I admit something? I enjoyed the book, but there were a couple of moments where I wasn't completely sure I understood what was happening beneath the surface. It felt like there were ideas or connections I was probably missing.
Michael, if you have a reading guide or some notes about the themes, I'd genuinely love to read them because I have a feeling there's even more here than I picked up on the first read.
I'm glad someone else said that because I felt something similar. The story works perfectly well on its own, but it also feels like there are layers that become clearer when you discuss them with other readers. If there's a reading guide available, perhaps Michael could share it with the moderator so everyone who wants to explore the book more deeply can benefit from it.
One thing I really admire is how Michael allows ordinary moments to carry emotional weight. There aren't constant dramatic events demanding your attention. Instead, the relationships, conversations, and small decisions gradually build into something much bigger. That takes confidence as a writer because it asks readers to slow down and really pay attention.
I do want to challenge one idea that's come up several times. We've talked a lot about staying true to yourself, but I wondered whether there are times when changing yourself is actually a sign of growth rather than compromise. I don't think the novel gives an easy answer, and maybe that's exactly why it stayed with me.
Reading everyone's thoughts has reminded me that Counting Freckles is one of those novels that becomes richer through conversation. Different readers notice different things, and somehow all of those perspectives seem to fit together. To me, that's one of the strongest compliments a book can receive. It doesn't end when you close it; it keeps asking questions long afterwards.
I'm probably going to be the odd one out here, but I have to be honest.Everyone keeps talking about the deeper themes, the promise, the symbolism, the choices Coleen makes... and I'm sitting here thinking, "Did I miss half the book?" 😅
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it, but I also felt like there were layers I couldn't quite reach on my own. There were moments where I knew something important was happening beneath the surface, but I couldn't fully connect the dots. That's actually a little frustrating because I don't like finishing a book feeling as though the author knows I've missed something... and I'm pretty sure you do!
So, Michael, can I make a genuine request?
Please consider putting together a reading guide for Counting Freckles. I honestly think this is one of those books that would benefit enormously from one. A good reading guide doesn't explain the novel away. It opens doors that some readers don't even realise are there.
In fact, I'm seriously considering buying several copies for some of my students because I think there's plenty here that's worth discussing in advanced literary study. But I'd struggle to use it in that setting without a reading guide to help structure the conversations and point readers toward the bigger ideas. I'd rather not spend an entire lesson wondering whether we've all interpreted the same chapter in completely different ways!
It would be a shame if readers walked away thinking, "That was a good story," when there's clearly so much more beneath it. Without a reading guide, I think some of the novel's richness risks being overlooked, and that would be a real loss because discussions like this have already shown there's far more going on than first meets the eye.
And here's the slightly ironic part: the best reading guides don't tell readers what to think. They simply stop us from confidently missing the point. That's a pretty valuable job for a few extra pages.
If creating one feels like a lot to take on, perhaps you could reach out to the moderator who introduced Counting Freckles to this group. They already seem to have a strong grasp of the book's themes, and together you might be able to put something together that would help future readers get even more out of the novel.
I'd genuinely love to see that happen.
Eva, I'm actually really glad you brought this up because I thought I was the only one feeling that way.The reality is, I don't have the luxury of sitting down for hours at a time with a book anymore. Between work, family, and everything else life throws at us, I'm usually reading in short bursts whenever I can find twenty or thirty minutes. I imagine a lot of readers are in the same boat.
That's why Counting Freckles challenged me in a different way. It isn't the kind of book you can just rush through and expect to catch everything. Every time I came back to it, I felt like there were connections I probably should have noticed but didn't because I'd had to put the book down and pick it up again later.
So I'd also love to add my voice to Eva's request.
Michael, I really do think a reading guide would make a huge difference. Not because readers need the book explained to them, but because it would help us hold on to the threads that make the story so rich, especially when we're reading around busy lives instead of in one uninterrupted sitting.
In a way, a reading guide almost becomes a conversation partner. It reminds you of what to look for, points you toward questions you might not have asked yourself, and helps you reconnect with the story each time you return to it.
I honestly think it would encourage people not only to finish the book, but to appreciate it on a much deeper level.
If putting one together seems like a big project, perhaps you could work with the moderator who introduced the book to this group. They already seem to have a wonderful understanding of the novel's layers, and I think the two of you could create something that would benefit every future reader.
I'd certainly be first in line to use it.
Just to let everyone know, A guide will be arriving very shortly. I am currently recovering from a broken collarbone (perhaps I shouldn't have fallen off of my bicycle) so I'm running at slow speed.Mike
James wrote: "Michael, I'd love to ask you something. Coleen's voice feels so natural that it almost seems like she's telling you the story rather than the other way around. Were there moments while writing wh..."
Coleen indeed does go on and tell her own story. Some of the events can trace their history back to events that Have happened in my own life. I have not ever been left "Holding the baby" but it occurred to me that , when Coleen made the promise at a young age, she thought about what she was doing so that she was sure she could deliver on it. Joshua and Coleen seemed to bond when he was born and that was the point at which her character began to firm up and change into the person that was entirely capable of being a mother figure to the little boy.
Oh, that's wonderful news, Mike. Thank you for letting us know. I think the guide will add a whole new dimension to a book that's already sparked some fascinating conversations here. More importantly though, I hope your collarbone heals quickly. Bicycles do have an unfortunate habit of reminding us who's really in charge! Wishing you a smooth recovery.
Well, I certainly wasn't expecting the reading guide to become real this quickly! That's genuinely brilliant news. Please don't feel under pressure to rush it though. We'd much rather have you recover properly first. Looking forward to reading it whenever you're comfortably back on your feet. Take care of yourself.
That's made my day, if I'm honest. I think the discussion has already shown how much there is to unpack in Counting Freckles, so having your own thoughts to accompany it will be invaluable. That said, I think you've earned a little patience from all of us after an encounter with the pavement! Wishing you a speedy recovery, Mike.
Thank you, Mike. That's incredibly generous of you. I suspect future readers will benefit just as much as those of us taking part in this discussion. I hope the collarbone mends well. Perhaps let the bicycle do the waiting for a little while this time.
Delighted to hear it, Mike. A reading guide coming directly from the author is about as good as it gets, so I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime, please focus on getting yourself back to full strength. Books can wait a little; broken collarbones really shouldn't. Wishing you a swift and uncomplicated recovery.
Something has been bothering me since finishing the book. We often celebrate people who refuse to 'go with the flow,' but we rarely ask what it costs them. Coleen pays a price for being herself. It made me wonder whether authenticity is something we admire most in hindsight because we're not the ones paying the price. Michael, was that something you wanted readers to wrestle with?
As someone who spends a lot of time around young people, I kept thinking this isn't really a story about teenagers. It's a story about character formation. The older I've become, the more I've realised that adulthood isn't one big decision, it's hundreds of tiny ones. Coleen reminded me that character is built long before anyone notices it.
I probably read this book differently because I'm a parent. I wasn't only watching Coleen grow, I kept wondering what kind of environment creates someone brave enough to remain kind without becoming naïve. That balance is incredibly difficult to teach.
I'm going to challenge something that's been said throughout this discussion.Everyone keeps calling Coleen resilient.
I think resilience is actually the wrong word.
Resilience suggests surviving.
What I saw was someone actively choosing the kind of person she wanted to become despite everything around her.
That's something much deeper
Michael, one thing fascinated me.Coleen's narration feels spontaneous, yet structurally it's incredibly disciplined.
How many drafts did it take before you found her voice?
Or did she arrive almost fully formed?
I smiled when I discovered that Bank Top Farm existed before Coleen did.Usually we think characters build worlds.
Here it almost feels as though the world was patiently waiting for her to arrive.
That's a fascinating way to build fiction.
Can I confess something?For the first few chapters I thought I knew exactly where this novel was going.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Somewhere along the way I stopped reading for the plot and started reading because I simply wanted to spend more time with Coleen.
That's surprisingly rare.
I've been thinking about why this discussion has become so lively.I don't think it's because everyone interpreted the book in the same way.
Quite the opposite.
We've disagreed about courage.
We've disagreed about promises.
We've disagreed about resilience.
Yet somehow every interpretation still seems to belong inside the novel.
That's what good literature does.
It doesn't hand readers answers.
It creates enough space for thoughtful people to keep asking better questions.
Michael, thank you for writing a book that trusted us enough to have this conversation
Carol wrote: "Something has been bothering me since finishing the book. We often celebrate people who refuse to 'go with the flow,' but we rarely ask what it costs them. Coleen pays a price for being herself. It..."Yahya wrote: "Something occurred to me while reading everyone's comments. We keep talking about promises, but perhaps the most important promise in the novel isn't the one made at the naming ceremony.
Maybe it..."
we all pay the price for being who we are. Coleen considered what she was doing and whether she would be able to do what she'd promised well before he naming ceremony. What she got was initial opposition from those in authority, and threats from the birth parents. Both of these were outweighed multiple times over by the unconditional love she got back from Joshua, the boy who was totally blameless in all of the events of the book. He didn't decide to be born, but bonded with Coleen the moment he was. Without that aspect and her general nature to go her own way, Coleen could well have been badly hurt by her experience. As it was, she came out of it more or less unscathed.
Maverick wrote: "I've been thinking about why this discussion has become so lively.I don't think it's because everyone interpreted the book in the same way.
Quite the opposite.
We've disagreed about courage.
W..."If you want coleen's viewpoint on how the experience affects her and what she's learned. It's there in the last but one chapter.
Tamera wrote: "Michael, one thing fascinated me.Coleen's narration feels spontaneous, yet structurally it's incredibly disciplined.
How many drafts did it take before you found her voice?
Or did she arrive al..."The idea for Coleen as a character was one of those "What if" moments. What if the daughter of one of the founders of Bank Top had a daughter herself. She'd be around twelve if the master timeline was going to work. I've written a couple of books from a first person viewpoint but more or less knew that the voice of a twelve year old may be difficult. I still went and wrote the thing though, and handed it to my wife to read. She at least has been a twelve year old girl at some point and she liked the story so I edited it several times to hone the voice and the basics remain the same. Coleen Phillips is now one of the many characters that wander around my skull.
Ann wrote: "Oh, that's wonderful news, Mike. Thank you for letting us know. I think the guide will add a whole new dimension to a book that's already sparked some fascinating conversations here. More important..."I,m very close to posting a short guide to the book which will go for free distribution (unless people want a hard copy.
Tamera wrote: "Michael, one thing fascinated me.Coleen's narration feels spontaneous, yet structurally it's incredibly disciplined.
How many drafts did it take before you found her voice?
Or did she arrive al..."Coleen's basic character landed on me pretty much as she appears in the book Mos of my characters have a habit of doing that. Later this year my next book "Strange Affairs will see a slightly older but not necessarily much wiser Coleen follow further through on the promise she made to a baby that could not either walk or talk but for whom she felt an unconditional love for. Whether she does or whether she goes under is a matter of speculation.
Eva wrote: "I'm probably going to be the odd one out here, but I have to be honest.Everyone keeps talking about the deeper themes, the promise, the symbolism, the choices Coleen makes... and I'm sitting here..."
I have a reader guide more or less ready and will be posting it soon.
I just wanted to ask, have you had a chance to send the reading guide to the moderator yet? Ever since you mentioned it, I've been looking forward to reading it because I think it'll add another layer to a book that's already generated some brilliant conversations.I honestly can't wait for it to be shared with the rest of us here. From everything you've said, it sounds like it'll be a wonderful companion to the novel, and I have a feeling quite a few of us will be reading Counting Freckles again with fresh eyes once it's available.
Does it quietly shape our identity over time, or does who we become determine whether we keep it?
Counting Freckles invites us to explore that relationship through Coleen's journey, asking whether our character is defined less by the promises we make than by the ones we choose to honor when life becomes difficult.