How do Alice and Florence change through the story?

Over the course of the novel, Alice changes very little, but the ways in which she changes are positive. She becomes more self-confident, she researches things in order to assist the community, she goes to work everyday to offer people an escape, and thus, to offer them some form of entertainment...... something she believes can be gotten from books.

Florence is a spinster, and she is happy to be alone. She is also a gossip. Over the course of the novel, Florence uses her ingenuity to catch fish, she invites Alice to stay in her home, and she cuts back on the gossip.