Week 6- The Tender Years

So far in The Tender Years by Janette Oke, I have read 160 pages. Since I blogged last, many significant things have happened in the plot. For one, Virginia, the main character, has been torn lately with the thought of going along with her “friends” who really aren’t like her at all and break rules or being the girl her family can depend on. On one such occasion, Virginia was tired of the gang doing things without her. She decided that instead of going straight home for chores, she would go with Jenny and the crew to the creek that was swollen by the melted snow. She knew because of one other previous account where she disobeyed her mother that she would be in great trouble. Even knowing this, she went to the creek where the boys came with a stolen raft, and where Jenny came back with stolen candy. Virginia was so outraged by this that she stormed home. After some time she learned that as the kids were going down the creek, the raft flipped and the kids fell in. One of the boys died, and all of the kids suffered injuries, namely Jenny’s broken arm and hand. After some time, Virginia’s mom took it upon herself to take Jenny in and help her with her rehabilitation. Now, Virginia has to wrestle with the fact that she has to put aside her jealousy to be the kind of friend to Jenny God would want her to be.
The one thing that really reminded me of my life in the story so far is when Virginia grows jealous that her parents are caring more for Jenny than herself. She thinks that they are her parents and not Jenny’s. Why should she have to share them or her grandma when her mom takes Jenny for a visit to the farm? I have felt that way when I was younger and my cousins stayed at our house for a long time. I just didn’t feel comfortable sharing Mom and Dad. Also, a thing that sticks out to me most is how the influence of her sister, Clara, makes Virginia want to turn more to her faith. Virginia won’t really notice it when she is young, but she really does care about her sister, more than she ever will say. Finally, I find it really hard to fathom that Virginia could turn someone that she couldn’t stand into someone that she likes simply by turning to God. Sometimes, I think it’s a lot harder than that. I think this is a book that really has a good theme in its pages.