2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Cordie reads letters from her mother Natalie to her father that are cruel to say the least, including the fact she wished she’d have gotten rid of the baby while his letters to her beg her to come back. Cordie decides to travel to Australia to see the woman who gave birth to her and tormented her father. Why? What does she hope to gain? What would you have done under the same circumstances?

Natalie was a total fraud. How a smart man like Andrew could not have seen how shallow she was is amazing. It must be due to them both being young. How he never got over her is so sad.

Cordie just wants closure both for her and her father. After finding out that Natalie was using her dad for her slumming in America, Cordie is deeply angry and hurt and she wants to cause Natalie/Simone a measure of pain. I don't know what I would have done.

I agree that Cordie wants to lay eyes on the woman who had left her dad hopelessly in love with a phantom.

I think Cordie really would have been satisfied to see Simone's reaction to the copy of her own letter years before. What followed is a cautionary tale, perhaps?

I have no idea what I would have done with the pain of having been abandoned in such a cruel way.

I wasn't sure what Cordie hoped to gain by seeing her mother. I'm not even sure Cordie knew why she was doing it.

I think I would write her off. If she left me and my father, and said some terrible things in that letter, I wouldn't want anything to do with her. Why give her the time of day?

I believe that Cordie was hoping to see her mother to understand her decision. It happens a lot when men walk out on their family. The child wants to know why she wasn't good enough. If Simone had given Cordie a loving or forgive me look, Cordie would have forgiven her.

I had to think about this one for a second and the only thing I could come up with is that I would be really angry with my dad for telling me on his deathbed. That did not come across in this book and it really should have. Sure he was a great guy but anger is part of the grieving process no matter how good the person. I realize now that it's one of the missing puzzle pieces that made this book somewhat dissatisfying for me.

I agree Jessica, the anger was missing and I should have been there. I think it was that anger that drives Cordie to go to Australia.