“So, the fear is . . . what? That if things get tough between us and we’re not getting along, I’ll just dump you again?”
“Yeah,” I said. “That.”
She sighed again, and it sounded extra loud from this close. Also I could see the shape of her making a shadow in the light from the moon, and it was nice because it looked like the shape of somebody I knew.
“Tell you what,” she said. “I don’t have a crystal ball and I can’t predict the future, but I’ll promise this much. I’ll make you a solid commitment. No matter what happens, and no matter how we get along, you can stay for two years. Until you’re eighteen. And then, if we both think we’re better off apart, I’ll help you get a job and a place of your own. I’ll even put that in writing if you want me to.”
“No, that’s okay, I believe you,” I said, because I really did believe her, because I knew she wouldn’t offer to write it down if she didn’t mean it.
Or that was part of why anyway.
The other part of it was that sometimes you just have to take a chance on something, because otherwise you definitely end up with nothing. You just have to be a brave girl sometimes, like I told the baby a thousand times that night.
“Good. Now stop worrying and get some sleep.”
And she got up to go, but before she walked away she gave me a kiss on the forehead, like mothers do with their very own kids.
Before she could get back to her room, I said something to Brooke I’d been meaning to say. “You have to promise me you’ll call your mother. Maybe not right away but sometime.”
She stopped in the doorway and looked back at me, and I couldn’t really see her face all that well, but I knew she was a little bit confused, because I could feel it.
“Why would you want me to do that?”
“Because she’s not the worst mother in the world.”
“She’s not the best.”
“No, she’s not, I get that, but she’s not the worst, and I know you know what I mean.”
She just stood a minute, and then she opened her mouth to talk. I thought she was going to tell me to mind my own business, so what she said really surprised me.
“Okay, I promise. Now stop worrying about everything in the world and get some sleep.”
I mostly stopped worrying. For the time being, anyway. Later I would worry some more, but life is just like that and nobody can exactly save you from it.
I didn’t really get much sleep because I was busy lying there and memorizing the ceiling in my new home, and the way the silence felt, and feeling the place where her lips pressed down on my forehead.
It was all like something I didn’t really want to sleep through.
But then I opened my eyes and it was morning, my very first morning in my new home, so I guess I really did get a little sleep after all.
BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
The title Brave Girl, Quiet Girl references some poignant scenes throughout the book. In what way is this literary phrase used as a central theme?
The love between mother and daughter is highlighted in the three main relationships, each one fraught with its own challenges to finding love and acceptance. What are the commonalities that each relationship struggles with?
Early in the book, Brooke says the following: “Well, you know how it is. We either grow up to be our mother or we make a solemn vow to the universe to be her polar opposite.” Do you believe this to be true? How does Brooke’s attitude color her relationship with her own mother?
When Brooke plans to drive to the movie theater with her daughter, Etta, Brooke’s mother begs her to use her car for safety. However, it’s because Brooke has the Mercedes that the car is stolen. Do you believe that it was either woman’s fault that this happened, and could it have been prevented?
Both Brooke’s mother and Molly’s mother have very ingrained beliefs about life. In referring to her daughter, Molly’s mother says, “There’s no welcome in my home for the devil,” while Brooke’s mother believes the whole world is a dangerous place. What do you think is the underlying emotion driving both of these women’s viewpoints?
When Bodhi takes off to find food for Molly and Etta while they’re in hiding, he’s arrested for stealing about seven dollars’ worth of food. How does this reflect on the legal system and the problem of teen homelessness in the US? In what other ways did this book shine a light on this issue?
What does it reveal about Molly’s character when, despite the risks and having everything to lose, she puts herself in harm’s way to help a lost child?
After Brooke does what she considers the right thing with Molly, bringing her to her mother’s home, Molly spends the night in the garage. Brooke wakes, only to find that her mother has thrown the homeless teen out, and now Molly is missing. How does this pivotal point trigger a transformation in Brooke’s character?
What do you think finally changed Brooke’s mind about allowing Molly to move in with them and become part of her family? Do you think it was the most beneficial decision for all involved?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2019 Douglas Sonders
Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than thirty-five published and forthcoming books. An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she has released her first book of photos, 365 Days of Gratitude: Photos from a Beautiful World.
Her novel Pay It Forward was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than twenty-three languages for distribution
