Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Running From the Past

I can't help but see a strong connection between the main character of the book I'm reading now, to the main character of the book I finished yesterday. Nellie (Beyond All Price) and Livy (Stealing Jake) are both women who run away from things, especially their past.

Nellie ran away from her life as a wife of a gambler and into the army in order to give meaning to her life. Livy runs from her past in Chicago that was full of pick-pocketing and living on the streets. She begins to work at an Orphanage to give abandoned children an option other than the streets. An option that she wasn't given as a young girl. Both women try to attain meaning for their lives by helping others but also try to hide their past from the people in their "new" lives.

The connection is astounding and forces the reader to wonder about the past of the people in their own lives. Do we all run away from unsavory events in our lives? And if we do, then what are we running toward?

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