Ashlynn's English Blog

This section of the book was the most interesting one I have read so far. The connection between the past and present is all coming together. While I am learning more about that Rill (the girl from the past) revealed nasty and very unpleasant experiences the kids at the orphanage would go through. I didn’t want to keep reading about the torture the kids would go through and it honestly broke my heart. I mean yes I kept reading because I wanted to know if Rill and her siblings make it out…

After the “showing” of all the siblings there were only two left out of the group. Rill and Fern were left until Fern was then adopted. Rill was left alone and wondering how she had failed as an older sibling. I connected with Rill again because of the feelings she held. I feel really bad for her and now that she is alone I’m afraid she will never get out now that she’s getting older. Later in the section, Rill had found out Fern was being sent back to the orphanage because she couldn’t stop wetting the bed and all she did was cry. Rill was happy again now that she knew her sister was coming back. Rill stated that she would be lost without Fern. I love that they can actually meet again and I hope they will get out together. While Rill was hiding outside one day Silas (the boy from the river) came to find her and get her out. She was excited to see him but she wanted to wait do Fern could get out with her. Silas decided he could come back the next night to get them out through the fence. I was honestly afraid that they wouldn’t make it out. I want to know if they will!!

Avery from the present has gone through Trent Turners Sr.’s old cabin and found out gruesome things about the orphanage. The kids there were sexually abused, physically abused, and starved. My gut twisted and turned reading that. It was a hard pill to swallow knowing that this still happens today. I need answers to Avery’s side and Rill’s side!!

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Okay so the last section of the book had more to do with Rill and what was happening in her life and Avery was still digging into more family history but this section has even more. Rill was kind of hating but loving her life at her new home. I think she was scared and more stubborn to accept the fact that she had another family on the river. I’m just going to cut straight to the big points because I can’t hold it in haha. Sooo Rill and Fern ended up escaping their new home onto a boat with a worker from the house and ventured off and try to find the shanty boat with Queenie and Briny on it. When they were in sight of the boat Rill noticed how the boat wasn’t taken care of so as they pulled up Rill saw Silas and found out the bad news that rushed Rill. Queenie ended up dying and Briny started drinking to try and ease the pain. I felt bad for Briny because I know how he most likely felt after he lost his wife and couldn’t get his kids back. It must be terrible to go on every day and wonder where your kids are and have no one to talk to. Rill and Fern tried to stay on the boat with Briny but one night he got to drunk and untied the boat in the middle of a bad storm. The boat crashed and caught on fire leaving Rill and Fern to save themselves on get back to shore. Rill couldn’t find Briny and knew what she had to do… go back to their adoptive parent’s home. To end the book she ended up living happily wth her new family and sister.

I think this needed to happen to Rill because she needed something to tell her that she needed to stop fighting for something that wasn’t there anymore. Quennie died and Briny went down with the boat in flames. She probably will still want what she used to have but now that she physically can’t have it she has to stop fighting for it.

Avery from the present found out that her grandma was actually Queenie’s daughter but was actually given away as a newborn. Judy (the grandma) contacted Trent Turner to dig into her family history and who her family actually was. Trent Turner (Trents grandpa) found out that he was adopted from the Tennsee Childerns Home Society after he grew up believing his adoptive parents were his real parents. He cut off all ties with his parents and began to help other people with the same problem as him. He helped others find there siblings that went through the same orphanage as him. Therefore, that’s how he found May and Judy. May is Rill from back in the day and Trent is actually Stevie from back in the day to. The two went through the orphanage together but were obviously separated. They all found there ways together because of Trent. In the end Avery and Trent brought Judy and May together and told there families about the hidden secerts. In the end Avery and Trent ended up getting together and May and Judy were able to be with each other and be happy.

I know a lot! I am very surprised with the outcome and I am honestly happy with how it ended. I will obviously never be happy about what had happened in the orphanage but I will continue to be happy about the ending where everyone is happy with each other.

By the way I highly recommend this book! 10/10 for sure!

Back in post number five I had talked about Rill’s escape plan and how she plans on waiting for Fern before she goes. The night she came in from talking to Silas was tragic for Rill. Rill was sneaking back up to her room when Mr. Riggs caught her and took her into the bathroom. As I was reading I was in complete disbelief she was caught all because she stepped on the wrong floorboard. Rill hated herself for it and was terrified of what Riggs was going to do to her. Rill heard many rumors about what he had done to other kids but never wanted to believe them. I didn’t want to believe them either especially then when Rill was caught. She tried to fight but it was too late when Riggs pressed himself onto her. I hated to read any of the details because of how bad I felt about her Rill. Rill was sneaking around for an escape plan and was daydreaming about what was going to happen when she got out.

Rill went to bed that night scared and traumatized and I don’t blame her. All the events Rill had gone through were already enough and there was just more adding to her plate day by day. The next morning Rill went to breakfast to find out that she had accidentally left muddy footprints through the house. The workers were trying to figure out who it was and there next suspect was going to be Rill til the phone rang. The call was for Rill from people who wouldn’t to meet at a hotel for and showing. Rill got away from the big trouble she could have been in but knew the showing could also be bad. The showing ended up being with Fern’s adoptive parents and they wanted Rill as well because that’s all Fern wanted. Rill ended up going to live with her new parents and Fern.

I wonder if Rill regrets not going with Silas the first night like she went through so much and is now adopted out, but she’s with Fern so maybe not? She wanted to escape with Fern and then go back to the river so maybe she’s just happy she’s with her? But Silas isn’t going to know where they are… I need to know if they escape or if Rill will just be okay with it all.

Avery from the present day hasn’t got back to her job yet and I don’t think she plans on it anytime soon. She continues to find out more about her family history and so does Trent. Trent finds out that his grandfather and Averys grandmother did “work” together but it was because of family history the wanted to know as well. I want to know what they find out! Will their grandparents be related? What will it be!

This section answered even more questions of mine! Avery from the present day went to her grandma’s old cabin on the river to find answers herself. She knows her grandma had some connections with Trent Turner but doesn’t know why or for what reason. She found Trent Turner’s grandson and Avery knows he knows the connection between their grandparents but he won’t tell her. Avery gets super pushy and continues her digging and finds a letter but everything is backward. She is able to find out what it says and I was stunned and in complete disbelief to hear that the letter mentioned the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.

 I can’t remember if I had mentioned in previous posts but that is the orphanage the kids from the past were taken to. Somehow the families are connected and somehow they are connected to the lady in the nursing home (May Crandall). I wonder if Avery’s grandma Judy is Mays long lost sister? But wait that doesn’t make much sense because I have heard of the name Judy from the past sections. Butttttt what if after Judy was adopted her parents decided to change her first name? I don’t really know but I have ideas and I want to know like… NOW! 

Rill (the girl from the past) had talked about a “showing” of the kids specifically her and her siblings. Rill drops in on the leaders of the orphanage and knows exactly what their plans are for her and her siblings. I would be just as curious as Rill because she is worried about whether her parents are coming back or keeping her siblings safe. She is the oldest and so am I so I completely understand her role in protecting them. I’m excited to see what will happen next in both past and present sections. 

This book section was actually really interesting and it got me more into the book. The kids from back in the day were put in an orphanage…I can’t remember if I said that in the last post… oops. Well anyway, Rill (one of the kids) is the one telling the story and it makes me feel more interested in what happens to the kids since she tells what’s happening. Her name was changed by the head “leader” to May. Her other siblings’ names were changed as well but she stuck out the most. Why does it stick out? Welllll Avery (the girl in the present) met the girl at the nursing home in the last section and her name was May Crandal. I know I’m just as amazed as you are!!

The connection between May and Avery’s grandmother is hopefully going to be discovered by Avery. Avery is determined to figure out the ties between the random lady at the nursing home and her grandmother. To be honest I think I would be just as determined as Avery since she doesn’t know much of the family’s history. I like the two characters that tell the stories and how everything is happening. Even though I’m a little more invested in Rill’s side of the story because it kind of makes me feel like there’s more coming but it’s slowly getting there. Does that make sense? Well, I hope so. Anyway, I need to know what will happen to the kids and if that has anything to do with Avery and her grandmother. 

In the last section I read I was confused with what was going on in the book. I had a lot of questions about what was happening and the way the book was written. I am so happy that my questions were answered and I actually know what’s happening. I can now understand the connections between the two characters in different periods. I found out that Avery’s grandma may have connections with May Crandall. May Crandall is the other perspective in the book and it is the one that got taken away. Avery wants to find out who May Crandall is and the connections she has with her grandma. Avery found a picture in May Crandall’s room at the nursing home and Avery swore her grandma was in the picture. Avery questioned her grandma and she gave her two words that were “Queenie” and “Arcadia”. Her grandma told her she could never mention those names again. Avery wants to know what all this means and what the connections between the two are. Avery doesn’t know what those words me but I do. Queenie is the mom that was taken away to the hospital and May Crandalls mom. Arcadia is was the family called the shanty boat they lived on. I was very surprised and amazed throughout the section. Everything was coming to me and I felt relieved that I wasn’t confused anymore.

The family from decades ago lived in a shanty boat on the river and when the parents of the family left to go get help the kids were left alone. When police showed up at the boat they took the kids and told them they would get the see their parents. All five kids fell for it and ended up being taken to a building will mean ladies. I want to know what will happen to the kids. Will they get separated from each other? Will they escape? Will Avery find out the connections?

The first section of my book was actually kind of confusing to me. Although it was confusing I still had a feeling to continue reading because I was so confused I wanted to know what I was reading. Does that make sense? I don’t know but it does to me.

The book jumps from present tense to past tense. Mrs. Johnson had warned me about that and gave me a little overview of the book, so it helped me try to understand what was happening. Soooo thank you, Mrs. Johnson!! Anyways, the storyline between the characters telling the story are in completely different views and the characters are very different so far. One side is about a family living during the great depression and they struggle with money. The family mom is pregnant and when she goes to have the kid the midwife finds out there are twins and she can’t deliver the babies. This causes the mother and father to leave the other children to go get help. In the present tense side, the character Avery is involved with politics, and it is brought back to her hometown due to her father’s cancer diagnosis. Her father is the senator. While the father and daughter (Avery) are visiting nursing for a work thing for her father Avery encounters an old lady named the same name as the girls in the past tense story. I didn’t figure out that much about the relationship between them from my section, but I’m curious to learn the connection. Although I was confused I did enjoy the beginning of the book. I would also like to be honest for a second… I have to admit I forgot about this assignment….

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I am reading Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. I remember picking this book up a couple years ago because I was going to read it but then I kinda forgot about it. I am happy that it was an option for this assignment since I have already had an interest in reading it. Just from reading the back, I can tell the book will keep me on my toes. I decided to read the book on my own because then I wouldn’t feel pressured to share my thoughts or ideas about the book with anyone. I also won’t have to go off anyone else’s reading schedule. I hate to admit that the sad books grab my attention, but the sadness is interesting in this specific storyline.

Therefore, I don’t know if anyone would want to read this specific book but me, and to be honest I don’t want to read with anyone. I am excited to be able to share my own thoughts through blogging while using my own word choice and tone. I understand academic voice is necessary but I like that this will be an escape from that. I am a procrastinator but I think that if I like the book and stick to the schedule then I will be okay.

The three texts, de las Casas’, Columbus, and Red Cloud are for a specific audience to show or tell a message. Each text has a purpose, and all three can change the audience’s perspective. In the text, “de las Casas” the author focuses on injustice and cruelty. The text shows many examples of inhuman acts from the Spaniards to the Natives, which can impact a reader’s view on history as they read what they may not have known. The author uses the sympathetic word chance while talking about what the natives have been through to show true sympathy and meaning. Also, when the author talks about what the Spaniards had done to them he uses more of a ruthless tone to show how terrible the acts were. In Columbus, a perspective change in the audience would be almost guaranteed. Columbus writes from his perspective, as a European. He shows his thoughts and plans about the natives in his writing. Changing the audience in this way can give them an idea that the Europeans were in the wrong, and the natives had no materials, money, or enough power to fight back. Therefore, the Europeans were able to take over them and their belongings. The speech from Red Cloud happens after the fact of many events leading up to his speech. He gives examples and uses an earnest tone in his speech to show how he feels. The audience could have gathered from Red Cloud’s humbleness and peace that he wants justice. Red Cloud changed his audience’s perspective on how natives live through injustice ways. In summary, all three texts have given many reasons throughout their texts to change ideas, thoughts, perspectives, and views.

Cultural Encounters are shown throughout the text “The Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies”. Throughout the text, the idea of two different groups evolving in conflict is certainly a main idea. On the first page of the text it states, “And the Christians attacked them with buffets and beatings, until finally they laid hands on the nobles of the village… From that time onward the Indians began to seek ways to throw the Christians out of their lands.” This piece of information gives us the fact that the Christians are harming the Indians and they have nothing but to try and protect their land. On page 90 it says, “Then, like sheep they are sorted out into flocks of ten or twenty persons, separating father from sons, wives, from husbands, and the Spaniards draw lots, the ship owners carrying off there share, the best flock, to compensate them for the moneys they have invested in their fleet of two or three ships, the ruffina tyrants getting there share of captives who will be house slaves…” Knowing that Indians are looked at as something less than people and in this case slaves. Other groups would encounter them and think of nothing more than stealing them and making them work. The differences in the groups caused this to begin. The act of the Christians stealing and harming the Indians lead to much harm on both ends. On page 90, it states, “…The Indians justifiably killed some Christians, the Spaniards made a rule among themselves that for every Christian slain by an Indian, they would slay a hundred Indians.” This supports the point that the act from the Christians lead to much harm in both groups. Indians had no choice but the fight back against a group that was trying to harm their people. Therefore, when these groups encountered each other they each had different intentions that in the long run ended up destroying groups as a whole and many individuals.