Essay Questions

Why does the children's grandmother initially want to take them in?

Initially, the Children's grandmother tells them that she is not able to give them a home to sleep in for more than a night. Dicey and the rest of the children realize that their grandmother's farm is just what they have been looking for and begin to do work for their grandmother, hoping to win her approval. Dicey learns that their grandmother is hesitant to allow them to stay because she fears that she will lose them just like she lost her own children. After all: she can't grieve something or someone that she never knew or became emotionally attached to. Ultimately, the grandmother takes all of the children in, realizing that she deeply cares for the children and wants the best for them, even if she gets hurt again.

What comes of the children's mother after she leaves them in the parking lot?

After they are abandoned by their mother, the children work to find food, shelter, and safety. They also work to find their mother, which takes them quite a bit longer than they expected. Ultimately, after a number of trials and tribulations, the children get word that their mother is in a Massachusetts psychiatric hospital in a catatonic state with very little chance of recovery.

Why do the younger children go to a Catholic summer camp?

Despite not being Catholic, the younger children go to a Catholic summer camp because their aunt, Eunice, is a devout Catholic who struggles to accept the kids because they are not Catholic. As such, after the advice of a Priest, the younger kids are put into a summer camp, and Dicey is made to stay home and help Eunice keep up her house.