Blessing

by Lyn Cote

  Aunt Fran surprises Gerard when she explains his father’s motivation for sending him to boarding school. Have you ever discovered facts about your childhood or family that explained decisions and behavior you’d misunderstood?

  Have you experienced discrimination for your gender, race, or some other aspect of your identity? What happened? What advice would you give others who face this sort of discrimination?

  Though the laws have changed since Blessing’s day, there is still tension between women and men—in the workplace, for example. Why does this controversy continue?

  In the 1840s, men’s sexual indiscretions were often treated more lightly than women’s. Does this double standard hold true anymore? What does today’s society expect from young men and women? How have things changed for each gender, and how have they stayed the same?

  If you lived in 1848, would you have attended the Seneca Falls women’s rights convention, like Blessing and Tippy? Or would you have condemned it, like Gerard? Why? What do you imagine would have been the most interesting aspect of the convention?

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  LYN COTE, known for her “Strong Women, Brave Stories,” is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of more than thirty-five novels. Her books have been RITA Award finalists and Holt Medallion and Carol Award winners. Lyn received her bachelor’s degree in education and her master’s degree in American history from Western Illinois University. She and her husband have two grown children and live on a small but beautiful lake in northern Wisconsin. Visit her online at www.LynCote.com.