Theme: Death Gives way to Life

Hi All,

I know I have been asking for you to do a lot of work each night, and yes we are pressed for time with this book.  I understand, but please keep working hard.

Some thoughts I want to leave you with (and yes I will be checking my email and the Blog while I'm in Boston) are:

1) Maddie wrote a post about the similarities between Lily and May's "darkness," and I think this is something important to discuss.  If Lily is so upset when June judges her entirely based on skin color and is offended that June "Doesn't even know me", then the unifying message here is we need to "know" each other beyond what we look like.  This much is obvious to you I know.  So, then, what do we have in common?  Or what do our characters have in common from which they can build understanding?  A good place to start seems to be May and Lily's sadness for the ones they have lost.  How can this or does this give way to life then, as our theme suggests?

Thoughts?  Build upon this.