Final Discussion ~ Christy Read-Along

Welcome to the seventh and final discussion of the Christy read-along! ♥ If this is the first you've heard of the read-along, you can view the schedule in this invitation post.

Today we'll be discussing chapters 40-46. If you've already read these chapters, you can share your thoughts in the comments section below or in your own post! (Feel free to use the image above, linking back to the Christy read-along tag.) If you still need to catch up on the reading, you're welcome to check in whenever you're ready. :) We're happy to have you join us whenever you can!

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Christy: Chapters 40-46

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes*

• "I knew that I belonged here, helping these mountain people. There was nothing I wanted for myself, I just wanted to give."

• "What I didn't understand then was that they were training their wills in the only way a will can be trained—by practicing giving up what we happen to want at the moment."

• "Relationships can be kept intact without compromising one's own beliefs."

• "By then I was a bit wiser and had learned that there's only one way to give advice to the young: give it, and then be perfectly unconcerned as to whether they take it or not. God alone is capable of managing other people—even our own children."

• "Every one of us belongs in some kind of ministry." 

• Is Miss Alice really saying that David can't love me—or anyone—until he has given himself and his love away to God?

• "I offer back to You this love You gave. It's all I have to give You, God. Here are our lives—hers and mine—I hold them out to You. Do—with us—as You please."

General Impressions

I confess I'm not quite sure what to say about this book's conclusion! As with the rest of the story, there are plenty of thought-provoking lines and moments. The theme of giving oneself, of living in "ministry," of loving without holding back—definitely challenging and inspiring. I'm not 100% satisfied with how the plot ends, but as a whole, this book has been engaging to read and discuss, and it's definitely a compelling story. :)

When I finished the book, I found myself wanting answers. I shared a few links in the first discussion post, and I'll re-share a couple here in case you want to visit them again, now that spoilers aren't an issue:

• Christy and Leonora: City Girl, Country Gal
• Leonora: The Real Christy

I found it really interesting to check out the comments section for that first link too! 

It's intriguing to know that Catherine Marshall's mother married a pastor and had a short engagement, which is what might have happened in the book...but then didn't. With David's state at the end of the book, I'm not disappointed that he and Christy didn't get together. It's not that I believe people need to be in a perfect spiritual state in order to get married. Far from it! That's not possible; we always have room to grow, and it's wonderful when marriage itself is a place where people can do that. But I believe it's important to have a foundation of faith beforehand, and I don't think David had that. He was still searching. He even said (on page 551 in my copy), "I have to stand my ground and find myself right here." So...yeah, I don't think his character was quite ready to start a loving relationship with Christy. (As suggested in the second to last quote in the section above.)

But then there's Dr. MacNeill. And I don't know exactly how to feel! Of course, my romantic heart enjoys a happily-ever-after. :) I really liked Dr. MacNeill in the show, and I think overall I liked his character in the book too. (If you're also a romantic, here's a link to a little music video someone put together featuring scenes from the show: It Is You (I Have Loved) [Christy/Neil]) 

Yet...I feel like his prayer and conversion, as much as I'm glad for them, were too sudden, too convenient to the story. Only a couple chapters before the end, Dr. MacNeill said, "Prayer, Alice, isn't going to change the course of typhoid" (page 540 in my copy). This was right before Christy became bedridden. Of course, his interactions with Christy and Miss Alice might have been on his heart and mind for some time without the reader really knowing it, but I think it would have been helpful to see him somehow wrestling with his faith more before that last scene. Like I said, I'm glad for what happened! I just wish it hadn't been tacked on at the end without more basis in the rest of the story.

Also, as much as an open-ended conclusion can be compelling, so much seems left unsaid. It's a climactic last chapter, but I think I would have enjoyed an epilogue or something to share just a bit more about what happens after Christy's illness. There were undertones of romance throughout the story, but it wasn't necessarily the central element, so it feels a bit odd to have the end be about the romance rather than about the mission and the people of the Cove or even more about faith apart from a romantic relationship.

Okay, apparently I do have a lot to say about the book's conclusion! :) While these last chapters left me wanting more or something a little different, I still really enjoyed the book overall. And I know that as much as I've been complaining about the focus on romance, I'm the one who's been going into detail about my thoughts in that regard, rather than talking about the other stuff that happened! 

I'm inspired by all the sacrifices in these last chapters. With sickness running rampant, the people at the mission gave so much of themselves to care for others, even someone like Lundy who didn't appreciate their efforts. It's so sad his seemingly small act of rebellion with eating eggs was his undoing. :( And yet, Christy and Miss Alice and Ida and Opal were so dedicated in their care of him to the end.

I was impressed by Ruby Mae's husband, his willingness to do whatever necessary to help his wife, even at such a young age. And then there was Christy and her small but meaningful kindnesses to Bessie and her family. And the truth about Tom's death, and how there seemed to be a mending there between families. 

This last section was not all sunshine and roses, that's for sure! (Although there was sunshine and flowers in the last chapter!) But there were shining moments in the midst of much pain and fear and darkness. I have another of Catherine Marshall's books, Julie, on my shelf, and I'm curious to maybe read another story by her at some point.

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments section or in your own blog post!

1. Which story of sickness, whether hopeful or heartbreaking, affected you the most?

2. Were you satisfied with the conclusion of the story? If so, what did you like most about these last chapters? If not, what do you wish might have been different?

3. What was your favorite part about Christy? Do you plan to read other books by Catherine Marshall, either fiction or nonfiction?

Thank you so much for joining the Christy read-along!
It's been a pleasure discussing the book with you. ♥

*Catherine Marshall, Christy (New York: Avon, 2006), 500-501, 504, 506, 507, 546, 547, 558.

Discussion 6 ~ Christy Read-Along

Welcome to the sixth discussion of the Christy read-along! ♥ If this is the first you've heard of the read-along, you can view the schedule in this invitation post.

Today we'll be discussing chapters 33-39. If you've already read these chapters, you can share your thoughts in the comments section below or in your own post! (Feel free to use the image above, linking back to the Christy read-along tag.) If you still need to catch up on the reading, you're welcome to check in whenever you're ready. :) We're happy to have you join us whenever you can!

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Christy: Chapters 33-39

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes*

• "I learned that true forgiveness includes total acceptance. And out of acceptance wounds are healed and happiness is possible again."

• "Only in the mountains had I seen such hues: the dark red of the sourwoods; the brown and bright orange of the red oaks; the luminous gold of the hickories; the crimson of the sumac and the scarlet oaks—always with the purple-blue Smokies for a backdrop, like the stain of ripe Concord grapes."

• "After a while the love of God was more real to me than any old ghost. And then all the ghosts went away, and ever since the dark has seemed friendly and cozy."

• "This love disclosing itself was no cosmic Creator of a mechanistic universe, for the revelation was intimate, personal. Perhaps the assurance always has to be personal, revealed to the inner person alone, since only man sees other men en masse, whereas God insists on seeing us one by one, each a special case, each inestimably beloved for himself."

• "I knew now: God is. I had found my center, my point of reference."

General Impressions

Man...there have been some difficult scenes leading up to this section, but I think this week's reading has been the darkest so far between Miss Alice's painful story from her past and the awful nature of Fairlight's passing. These tragic scenes are divided by Ruby Mae's rather wild wedding and the disappointing conversation with David about the school and the creepy talk of Old Marthy, the "witch." It's a lot to take in!

Even with the really dark moments, though, I love that the light still shines through Miss Alice's recounting of her community's love and acceptance...and Christy's comforting words to Zady...and also Christy's honesty with God and her recognition of His love amid all the uncertainties and unanswered questions.

I confess I wasn't taken by surprise to find out the identity of Dr. MacNeill's wife, only because it's a big part of the TV series. But I'd be curious to know if those of you who haven't seen the show or read the book before found that to be a shock! And I'm also curious to see how that revelation might affect the last chapters of the book, if at all.

Dr. MacNeill was...interesting...at the wedding. I like that he's a good dancer. ;) But he's definitely forthright in his opinions about sex and marriage! Not that it's bad to talk about, but if I were in Christy's shoes, I think I'd be uncomfortable hearing a widowed man discuss that topic in that place and context.

As for David...sigh. He makes me less and less inclined to prefer him as a suitor for Christy. He's preoccupied with kissing her but neglects to encourage her or value her opinions or deal with his own lack of faith. And this from a preacher! Again, sigh.

I was not prepared for Fairlight's death. That was definitely not something I remember from the show, and her awful terror that never really was soothed makes me so sad. I'm glad she had Christy with her at the end, sharing Scripture and comfort. And I'm glad Christy had Miss Alice to point her to the people in Scripture who asked questions of God and poured out their pain to Him.

It seems like there's still so much to wrap up with only one week's reading left, and I'm curious how the book will end!

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments section or in your own blog post!

1. What do you think of the Folk School idea that Mrs. Browning shared with Christy? Do you feel like it would be beneficial to the people of the Cove?

2. Do you find nighttime and darkness bothersome or appealing? Have your feelings changed since childhood?

3. What are some of the things you hope will happen or be resolved in the last chapters? (Or, if you've already read the book, has anything stood out to you differently so far while reading the book this time around?)

Join us next Friday for our seventh and final discussion! 

(Chapters 40-46)

*Catherine Marshall, Christy (New York: Avon, 2006), 415, 444, 455, 478-479.

Discussion 5 ~ Christy Read-Along

Welcome to the fifth discussion of the Christy read-along! ♥ If this is the first you've heard of the read-along, you can view the schedule in this invitation post.

Today we'll be discussing chapters 26-32. If you've already read these chapters, you can share your thoughts in the comments section below or in your own post! (Feel free to use the image above, linking back to the Christy read-along tag.) If you still need to catch up on the reading, you're welcome to check in whenever you're ready. :) We're happy to have you join us whenever you can!

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Christy: Chapters 26-32

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes*

• "It's been the delight of my life to find God far more common-sense and practical than any human I know. The only time I ever find my dealings with God less than clear-cut is when I'm not being honest with Him. The fuzziness is always on my side, not His."

• "Fixin' onything is man's work," came Opal's firm answer. "Tearin' down or killin', that thar's easy. Any addle-pated fool kin pull the trigger of a rifle-gun or fling a rock. It's fixin' that's hard, takes a heap more doin'."

• "Ask questions, never be afraid of truth."

• "Preach the gospel, David, teach it, preach to the hearts of men. That's your business. Then the fruits, including the reforms in other areas, will follow as fruits."

• "When your heart is ablaze with the love of God, when you love other people—especially the rip-snorting sinners—so much that you dare to tell them about Jesus with no apologies, then never fear, there will be results."

• "The sun sifting through moving branches overhead would splinter the light into diamonds on the water, tossing them back into my eyes with such magic that I would want to shout and dance just for the joy of living—and usually did."

General Impressions

There are some rather suspenseful scenes in this section, from the men harassing the women in the mission house to the standoff at the McHones' home. I love that Opal could see God's love through Christy's appearance in the middle of that tense situation. And I love how Opal appealed to Bird's-Eye (in that second quote above).

There's also some great tragedy in this section in regards to the death of Tom. The conversation it led to between David and Miss Alice was so powerful. I think it goes really well with the sermon my husband and I heard at the church we visited this past Sunday, which was on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, addressing the utmost importance of the gospel and what we should remember about it. I just love those quotes from Miss Alice above (the fourth and fifth ones on my list), how if David wanted to see true change in the Cove he needed to focus on the gospel. Or, as the pastor we heard from on Sunday reminded us, the real problems in the world today are not politics or loneliness or suffering; the real problem is our sin, as it has always been. Yes, the other issues matter, but we will never find true comfort or undying hope or real direction apart from being made right with the Lord through Jesus' sacrifice and apart from seeking God first. It's so tragic that David doesn't seem to understand the power of the gospel, that he is so determined to fix the outer issues without getting to the heart of it all!

And as I was thinking about all this, I realized how much it ties in with Christy's conversation with Dr. MacNeill from the last section. He asked her, "Why don't you just concentrate on the school and the good works and forget all about the religious doctrines that just confuse the people anyway?" (page 325 in my copy). But if that's all the mission did, there would be no hope for real heart change in the people...no forgiveness or reconciliation...no purpose beyond their day-to-day lives...no true healing of the soul, only temporary fixes for the body, if that. If the mission focused on "the good works" apart from the gospel, well, they'd never be making a lasting difference or helping the people in the way they truly need it.

I just love the way the book is helping me think more about important truths through the characters in this story!

To finish off my thoughts on this section: David's proposal hardly seems loving and came out of the blue. I'm glad Christy didn't rush into an answer or feel pressured to say yes. Of course, I love the scenes with Fairlight and the descriptions of her nature outings with Christy. I'm curious about what might come of the "Compt book" and Bird's-Eye's note to Opal. And the account of the last day of classes was a lot of fun. :)

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments section or in your own blog post!

1. What turn of events shocked or surprised you most in this section?

2. What do you think drove Christy to climb a mountain? Have you ever been driven to do something out of the ordinary or especially challenging for you? What was the experience like?

3. What was your favorite part or performance from the school's last-day festivities?

Join us next Friday for our sixth discussion! 

(Chapters 33-39)

*Catherine Marshall, Christy (New York: Avon, 2006), 341, 354, 365, 374, 375, 383.

Discussion 4 ~ Christy Read-Along

Welcome to the fourth discussion of the Christy read-along! ♥ If this is the first you've heard of the read-along, you can view the schedule in this invitation post.

Today we'll be discussing chapters 19-25. If you've already read these chapters, you can share your thoughts in the comments section below or in your own post! (Feel free to use the image above, linking back to the Christy read-along tag.) If you still need to catch up on the reading, you're welcome to check in whenever you're ready. :) We're happy to have you join us whenever you can!

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Christy: Chapters 19-25

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes*

• "Beware the chasms in thy life, David. Sooner or later thee will fall down in the chasm thyself."

• "The Christian religion is not a thing—like a piece of paper—that we can tuck away in the cubbyhole of a rolltop desk and then put the lid down and lock it. Christianity is a life and contains the germ of life in itself."

• The sky overhead was an inverted bowl with a pale blue lining; over the far mountains, rose faded to peach, with tiny gray clouds looking as if they had been given their marching orders to tramp as majestically across a twilight sky as small clouds can. "Living in the middle of beauty like this," I said, "we've no call to have puny ideas about God."

• "Christy," his voice was gentle, "I did not ask you what Alice Henderson believes or for a resume of her latest talk to her Bible class. I wanted to know why Christianity is important to you, what you believe."

General Impressions

Well, this was a very interesting section and rather different from what precedes it. Not as uplifting as last week's, but more suspenseful and challenging. It's as if last week's section was showing all the ways Christy had been encouraged and inspired, and now we're seeing her (and David) having her faith and grit put to the test in very stark ways.

And really, this section centers a lot around David and his reactions and relationships. It starts off with classroom trouble for Christy and escalates to violence, cruelty, and the revelation of an unlawful way of life some of the people of the Cove abide by. David's work ethic and strength are challenged, his horse is sheared, and he finds himself tangled up in the whole blockading affair as he preaches against it and tries to shut it down.

I hated seeing the women feel so helpless as their husbands treated David unkindly at the working. And I confess I'm torn about David's sermon... At first, I found myself underlining several of his comments about faith and the church and admiring his forthrightness. But I also agree with Christy and even Dr. MacNeill about David's heavy-handedness, the lack of compassion and complete understanding about the situation.

Sin should be directly addressed, but perhaps lumping the whole congregation together as the target of his harsh words might not have been the best route. He makes some good points, and I think the people were probably aware in advance that the sermon was going to be about an unpleasant topic. But I guess I'm torn about David's methods. As Dr. MacNeill says, "All I know is, when you accuse people, a wall goes up. Then the last thing they're interested in is changing their view or their actions" (p. 299 in my copy). Forthrightness is good and something necessary, but repentance needs the hope of grace and mercy.

Dr. MacNeill is not necessarily "hero material" at this point, but I do appreciate the last chapter of the section and how he challenges Christy to think critically about her faith and own it. I found it a good prompt for myself too. :) I'm curious how Christy might grow in this way in time.

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments section or in your own blog post!

1. Did this section make you want to read faster (because of the suspense) or slow down (because of the heavy topics)?

2. Imagine yourself in one of these tense situations: hearing Uncle Bogg's story at the working, listening to David's sermon, or coming upon Prince in his sad condition. How would you respond?

3. If you could help the McHones in even a small way, what would you do?

Join us next Friday for our fifth discussion! 

(Chapters 26-32)

*Catherine Marshall, Christy (New York: Avon, 2006), 267, 288, 305, 326.

Discussion 3 ~ Christy Read-Along

Welcome to the third discussion of the Christy read-along! ♥ If this is the first you've heard of the read-along, you can view the schedule in this invitation post.

Today we'll be discussing chapters 12-18. If you've already read these chapters, you can share your thoughts in the comments section below or in your own post! (Feel free to use the image above, linking back to the Christy read-along tag.) If you still need to catch up on the reading, you're welcome to check in whenever you're ready. :) We're happy to have you join us whenever you can!

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Christy: Chapters 12-18

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes*

• "As I came to know the children and to think of them as persons rather than names in my grade book, I forgot my reactions and began to love them. I suppose the principle was that the higher affection will always expel the lower whenever we give the higher affection sway."

• "Teacher, Teacher, hain't it true, Teacher, that if God loves ever'body, then we'uns got to love ever'body too?" I looked at the six-year-old in astonishment. "Yes, Little Burl, it is true." Forever and forever and forever.

• "Ye make the Almighty seem—come-at-able."

• "Lord," I says, "I don't rightly know whether I'm gonna live or die, but it don't make no differ. From here on, my life belongs to You." And it did too, for a fact. From that day I could feel His love a-feedin' my starvin', thirstin' soul. And the more I tried givin' His love away to my young'uns and my man and the neighbor-folks, the more love He gave back to me.

• "The minute I take my leave of this wore-out flesh, that second He'll be a-waitin' for me. Rest yer soul on that, son, like this old lady does."

• She would interrupt her work to call the children and revel with them in the grandeur of thunderheads piling up over the mountain peaks, heat lightning flashing behind the clouds like fireworks. "It lifts the heart," she would say, and that was explanation enough for any interruption.

• "It's today I must be livin'."

General Impressions

Oh my! These chapters have some of my favorite scenes so far. I just love all that Christy's learning from the people of the Cove, be it a child, a woman on her deathbed, or a mother with five kids. (Speaking of the latter, Fairlight and her family and their way of life are all so delightful! Their joy and love and attitude inspire me.)

It was interesting to hear Miss Alice tell the story of Dr. MacNeill's family. I enjoyed that! And it was sad to see the setback for the school with the books and maps being ruined. Granted, I think Miss Alice had a good point about Christy's pride in her "accomplishment" of securing the donations from Mr. Smith. I'm not quite sure what to think about the way Christy had approached him... She has such a big heart and a desire to take action, which are both good things! And it's hard to judge her for being materialistic when there are obviously items that would be a big help to her students (like new books). She tried to be careful in her approach, especially once the word materialistic was brought up... But it seems like Christy is still trying to find her way, figuring out what's really needed and how she can be the most help to the mission and the Cove.

But perhaps the scene that stands out most to me (although I do so love the scenes with Fairlight too!) is when Christy and David go to Aunt Polly's home. First, how lovely is it that her place is next to a waterfall? But more importantly, I find Aunt Polly's words so encouraging.

I've cried while watching the scene in the TV series, and it's stayed with me. I just love the points that Aunt Polly makes and how, even though David and Christy went to bless her, she really blesses them with her simple, solid faith, her absolute hope and lack of fear in the face of death. It's so beautiful, whether seen on the screen or read from the book. ♥ ♥ ♥

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments section or in your own blog post!

1. Of Christy's students, which one has left the biggest impression on you so far, whether positive or negative?

2. What are your thoughts on the Sewing Circle? If you were in attendance, how might you contribute to the gathering (hosting, providing snacks, reading Scripture, sharing ideas)? How might you interact with the women of the Cove?

3. Which character's attitude and perspective has inspired you the most so far in the book?

Join us next Friday for our fourth discussion! 

(Chapters 19-25)

*Catherine Marshall, Christy (New York: Avon, 2006), 158, 167, 189, 223, 224, 226.

Discussion 2 ~ Christy Read-Along

Welcome to the second discussion of the Christy read-along! ♥ If this is the first you've heard of the read-along, you can view the schedule in this invitation post.

Today we'll be discussing chapters 5-11. If you've already read these chapters, you can share your thoughts in the comments section below or in your own post! (Feel free to use the image above, linking back to the Christy read-along tag.) If you still need to catch up on the reading, you're welcome to check in whenever you're ready. :) We're happy to have you join us whenever you can!

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Christy: Chapters 5-11

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes*

• "This is so beautiful that I want to hug it—if you could hug a room. It's like—well, like coming home." "That's the nicest compliment my cabin's ever had." 

• "[God] was always right there beside me, looking at the dreadful sights with compassion and love and heartbreak. His caring and His love were too real for bitterness to grow in me."

• "You see, Christy, evil is real—and powerful. It has to be fought, not explained away, not fled. And God is against evil all the way. So each of us has to decide where we stand, how we're going to live our lives."

• "[God] suffers more than any of us could because His is the deepest emotion and the highest perception."

• "What goes on at a deep level inside you, Christy, is not silly, whatever else it may be."

• "When you have something important to say to a man," my mother had always advised, "never say it to a hungry one. Wait until he's had a good meal."

General Impressions

I think some of my favorites scenes from this section (and there are lots of compelling scenes!) are the ones where Christy is talking with Miss Alice. The weighty topics they discuss are approached with appropriate gravity but also hope, and there are some very thought-provoking lines (a few of which I included in the quotes section above). I really love Miss Alice's approach, how she's a great listener, asks important questions, boldly addresses the pain and evil in the Cove, and points to a loving God who has never failed her.

In these chapters we also get to see Christy's first day teaching school, her unexpected visit to the heartbreaking O'Teale cabin, the letter receiving and writing that leads to lots of donations to the mission, the tragic truth behind the McHone baby's death, unknown men skulking about at night, Dr. MacNeill's cabin full of "contradictions" (chapter 10), and the surprisingly successful start to the mission "store." Phew! That's a lot for Christy to face in such a short time, and a lot to take in as a reader.

Since I've seen (and I love!) the TV adaptation of Christy, it's interesting to see how some of these scenes were approached differently for the screen. For example, if I remember right, the store idea took longer to form and involved the students more than how it's depicted at the end of chapter 11. I drew a smiley face in my book next to the line about the people of the Cove using the fancy shoes they'd traded for as "door stops." :) Not something you'd probably see very often!

While the chapter on Christy's first day of school was definitely full and fun, it's interesting to me how Christy's role as teacher hasn't been highlighted too much yet; mostly, we're getting to meet different people and problems in the Cove. I'm curious to see how the book differs further from the TV series and what happens in the next set of chapters!

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments section or in your own blog post!

1. Despite all the sad revelations in this section, what moment or scene stood out to you as either really funny or really uplifting?

2. Now that we've gotten to know David and Dr. MacNeill a bit better, what are your impressions of them? How do you feel about their characters, their attitudes, and their interactions with others?

3. What are your thoughts about Christy's requests for donations from friends and various companies? Do you think she was foisting a cause upon others inappropriately? (To reference a conversation in chapter 11.) Or do you think such letters could be a blessing to both giver and receiver? Would you have approached things differently?

Join us next Friday for our third discussion! 

(Chapters 12-18)

*Catherine Marshall, Christy (New York: Avon, 2006), 59, 102, 103, 104, 113, 149.

Discussion 1 ~ Christy Read-Along

Welcome to the first discussion of the Christy read-along! ♥ If this is the first you've heard of the read-along, you can view the schedule in this invitation post.

Today we'll have a quick little discussion on chapters 1-4. If you've already read these chapters, you can share your thoughts in the comments section below or in your own post! (Feel free to use the image above, linking back to the Christy read-along tag.) If you still need to catch up on the reading, you're welcome to check in whenever you're ready. :) We're happy to have you join us whenever you can!

Let's get started with the compelling introduction to this story...

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Christy: Chapters 1-4

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes*

• "I would walk softly into the realm of what might have been."

• "For no reason at all the white fields on either side of the narrowing lane reminded me of the top of one of my mother's devil food cakes, thickly covered with white frosting. I remembered my child's-eye view when I had been just tall enough on tiptoe to be eye-level with the cake: that expanse of snowy white icing, glazing over where it was beginning to harden; the little wavy lines in it, so unsullied before any small fingers had sneaked bits off here and there." {I just love this comparison and the tantalizing descriptions!}

• "She's a smiley woman. All her wrinkles are smile-wrinkles."

General Impressions

So far, I'm loving the descriptions of the setting and Christy's journey! It's a meandering sort of beginning, but it's fascinating to experience a new world with Christy (and her daughter in the prologue).

As a side note, I'm completely intrigued by the fact that Christy's daughter's name is given as Catherine! But from the author's bio, I see that author Catherine Marshall's mother had a different name...Leonora. I've just done a quick online search, which seems to indicate that there is some truth in the basis of the novel, although it's definitely fiction. If you're interested, here are a few articles I found (although beware of spoilers!):

• Leonora: The Real Christy 
• Christy and Leonora: City Girl, Country Gal
• Christy: A Distinguished Story of Survival, Discovery

So interesting!

Anyway, I love the variety of characters and personalities introduced in these early chapters. I think Christy's perspective is captured so well; she definitely sounds like a young woman who is eager to make a difference but is still quite innocent and naive, stumbling a bit as she enters a new world. I love how she describes it as stepping into the past, like old photographs have "come to life" around her.  

I realize there's so much more I could say about other characters and the scene with Bob Allen, when Doctor Neil MacNeill makes his memorable entrance to the story. But I'm about ready to head to bed. ;) So I'll just add that I like Mr. Pentland's character, how he's so dedicated to his work but also compassionate toward Christy, not forgetting her in the midst of the craziness. I also thought it was fun to see that there are some Holcombs in this story, haha! And I'm looking forward to reading more...

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments section or in your own blog post!

1. What do you think of the narrator/perspective for the prologue? Would you prefer to jump right into the story, or do you think the prologue is effective in piquing your interest?

2. What are your first impressions of Christy and her goals?

3. If you were in the cabin when Bob Allen is brought in, how would you react? Would you lend the doctor a hand? Watch the surgery in fascination? Step out the door as fast as you could?

Join us next Friday for our second discussion! 

(Chapters 5-11)

*Catherine Marshall, Christy (New York: Avon, 2006), 7, 32, 34.

You're Invited to the Christy Read-Along!

Hello, friends! It's been pretty quiet around here on the blog lately... I'm so sorry I have yet to finish writing/posting Maya's story and there hasn't been much to check out here! It's been a busy season full of changes for Josh and I, including a move this month from Montana to Eastern Washington. (Bittersweet, for sure, but we're hopeful this will be a good next step for us!)

While I don't expect to start posting all the time, I really want to host another read-along this autumn. :) And with Christy by Catherine Marshall being 46 chapters, it should fit perfectly into October and the first half of November, before Thanksgiving and the holidays arrive. Yay!

This is a book I've tried starting before but haven't finished, and I'd like to change that! (I confess I'm a big fan of the TV series from the '90s.) Whether you're in a similar place, wanting to read a classic you've never completed before, or you're looking for an excuse to re-read an old favorite, I'd love for you to join me in reading and discussing Christy. :)

Here are the details...

• The read-along will start Tuesday, October 1, and end Friday, November 15.

• We'll read 1 chapter per day for a total of 46 chapters/days. Hopefully I did my math right!  

• Discussions will take place here on Fridays (October 4, 11, 18, 25, and November 1, 8, 15) for a total of 7 discussions.

• I'll provide ideas and questions, and you can take part through commenting on my discussion posts or creating your own blog posts!

Here are some examples of past read-alongs I've hosted: Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Emma, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense & Sensibility, The Silver Chair, Emily of New Moon.

It's always such a blast to read a book with blogging friends and share thoughts and impressions! Let me know if you'll be joining this read-along by commenting below or posting on your blog. (Feel free to use the image in this post and share it wherever you'd like!)