Book Club Chapters 50-71

This is the last section of the book - The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlein. Let's get to it:

1. At the end, we find out Tim was sending Cory money because he thought that she could be his daughter since he was having an affair with Genevieve. Did you see this coming?
NO! I thought that was a good twist. We really never get to see much about Genevieve - only that short time in the cabin before she passed away. I didn't think it was Tim...I just figured he was too selfish to think of anyone else.

2. By the end of the story, what were your feelings about Eve? How had they changed since the beginning?
We really were able to see how Eve grew up. She matured a lot during the book and really pulled herself together and made a good life for her. I did think it was a little immature how it all came out.

3. Were you happy with the way President Russell treated Cory?
It was odd at first, but they do not really know each other. The money was strange and I know he was upset about her asking to go easy on Eve. I can understand where he is coming from. This is new to him too.

4. If you were in Cory's shoes and just found out all of this about the woman who raised you and who you believed to be your mother, how would you react? Would you forgive?
That's a hard question to answer, since I've never been there. I would try to give the woman who raised me the benefit of the doubt, but I know it would take years of therapy to get through it.

5. In your mind, how does the story end? Do they all live happily ever after? Does Cory go on having relationships with her old family and her new family?
Yes, I think she does have a relationship with both of them, separately. It will be hard for her to maintain that though.

6. How do you think Cory has changed throughout the story? Have your feelings about her changed?
I think we go from seeing a weak individual to someone who really does transform right in front of us to a really strong person. She is afraid of everything, very co-dependent on the people in her life. I have always felt sadness for her, but happy that she had a great life.

My thoughts on the book. I felt this last section of the book was rushed a bit - they didn't give as much detail. I can't believe she would turn herself in without having an attorney with her. I can't believe that they didn't show her mother's trial. It was a quick and easy read and a very interesting story. I would give it a 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

Chapters 36-50

Still reading the Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlin.
Here are this week's questions:

1. Have your feelings about Tim changed throughout this last section of chapters?
I'm really impressed that he did not rat her out. However, I still think he's a deadbeat loser and was using her.

2. Do you agree with Cory and her behavior as an adult and her life with Ken? Is she justified in cutting her mother and father out of her life?
Hmmm, I don't like the fact that she has basically traded her parents for Ken. I don't really like Ken, I think he is manipulating her and making her dependant on him rather than really helping her. I understand her need to distance herself from her family for awhile and trying to go at her fears alone, however I don't feel like she is doing that.

3. At what point do you think Cory decided to spend less time with her mother?
Not sure, I think it was good for her to go away to school, but I think Ken had a lot to do with it too.

4. What do you think is Eve's biggest fear?
Now that Cory's older and has removed herself from her, she really has nothing to lose, I have said Cory all along, but Cory is a grown woman now. I don't know what her fear is.

5. When the story about Genevieve's body came out, what would you have done if you were Eve? Just sat back and watched things unfold? Would you tell Jack?
I don't think I could have waited that long. But I knew she would just wait...why tell now? She should have told Jack in the beginning.

6. Do you think Eve should tell Jack and confess?
Yes, she needs to get it all out.

Chapters 21-35 - Book Club

I'm still reading the book - The Secret Life of CeeCee Wikes by Nancy Chamberlin. It's an easy read and a very neat story. This week we are up to chapters 21-35. I'm in an online book club over at Book Beginnings and Bookends, check them out.

Let's get to it:

1. Do you think Tim is the one sending the money?
No, I think it's Marian. I feel like she has figured out a way, probably through SCAPE, to have different addresses. Why would Tim send her money? He's such a deadbeat loser anyway. Marian feels like Eve & Cory are part of the family and when she found out that Eve had already received money before it was a perfect way for her to continue that.

2. So far, there's been a lot of discussion on CeeCee/Eve and her choices. What choice(s) would you make differently from her?
At this point in the story, I don't know. She can't turn the Cory back over to the real father. Which is what I would have done in the beginning...or left the baby at the Governor's house. I think everything she has done since she decided to keep the baby has been 'good' decisions or the very least in the best interest of Cory. She couldn't tell her husband the truth. You have to keep living the lie...the lie just happens to be a life she made up.

3. What do you like about Jack? Are there things about him that you don't like?
I like that he's good with Cory. That he loves Cory and adopted her. I like how he tells Eve the truth regarding her actions and behavior toward Cory. I sometimes dislike his goofy-ness, but that's me.

4. What are the differences between CeeCee/Eve's relationship with Tim and Eve's relationship with Jack?
She's not a kid anymore. Have a baby and being on the run will grow you up fast! So she is not as naive and she has more to worry about than just herself. Her relationship with Jack is more adult and stable. The fling she had with Tim was immature and she realizes now she was being used.

5. Do you think Eve is to blame for Cory's fears? What could she do, specially, to help Cory feel like less than an outsider?
I think to some degree - subconsciously Eve is to blame for Cory's fears. However, she doesn't know anything else. She has been 'on the run' since she was born, so she doesn't know what's normal. I think getting her into a new school where kids are more in line with her intellectually will help, so Cory doesn't feel like an outsider. Maybe get her involved in more self-confidence boosting activities -sports?

6. Do you think Eve appropriately answered Cory's questions about her father? Do you think Cory will question her father more as she grows older?
I think Eve answered them the best she could with the lies she is trying to keep straight. I think Cory, like anyone, would want to know more about their father. What he looked like, what he was like, his parents possibly. I think as she gets older she will become more curious.

**Side note: you know that she is going to become friends/cross paths with the sister when she goes to the fancy new school. I haven't read ahead, but I feel it's coming. Also, what's up with Eve's feet hurting when she gets out of bed? My husband had that one time and we discovered via internet if he stretched his feet before getting out of bed, they didn't hurt. Hee hee, he will love that I put that in here. I know that will turn into something else too.

Have a good week!

Chapters 11-20 of Book Club

I'm really loving this book, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, that it is really hard to put it down and not read it further. Questions for the discussion this week:

1. Where do you think Tim and Marty are at this point in the story?
I think they are 'underground'. I need to go back and read the first chapter again, but I think they were just then talking about the trial, which would mean they were only recently caught?? I can't remember.

2. What were your thoughts as CeeCee was helping Genevieve deliver her baby?
My first thought was WOW, she is really having this baby! I have been slow putting 1+1 together and I didn't realize that the baby was Corinne until Naomi said she would have to take care of the baby. It was so heartbreaking to me that the mother died. Knowing that the baby would grow up with a mommy and with what CeeCee losing her mother at a young age, I thought she would take the baby to a hospital or to the governor. I didn't think she would keep it.

3. After Genevieve died what would you have done with her baby if you were in CeeCee's shoes?
I guess the exact same thing. She has no one she can lean on. I really knew she would not go to the police and let them know about Tim. I would have probably went to Naomi also.

4. Why do you think CeeCee/Eve is holding onto hope that Tim will come to get her?
Because she is young. She has no idea what she has gotten herself into. Since they are both underground...she thinks they could be together underground.

5. How do you think Eve will establish her new identity in Virginia?
I think she will get that waitress job and meet a guy and fall in love and that will be the only father that Cory ever knows.

6. What do you think of CeeCee/Eve now after she has gone through with the kidnapping, delivery of the baby, the escape and relocation?
It's really hard not to like her. Just looking at the facts and not knowing her....it is an awful thing and I should be mad at her, but this character is so likable. I want her to have the baby and a fabulous life with CeeCee, even though I know that she has a father who is a Governor and siblings and should go home and probably live a better life than being on the 'run and paranoid' all the time.

I really ready to read the rest of the book, I don't know if I can make it :)

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes

I've joined an online book club. To me, it makes perfect sense, because I like to read and I don't have a lot of time to go over to someones house and discuss it. I stumbled upon it through Blue-Eyed Bride it is called Book Beginnings and Bookends.

The book this month is The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes written by Nancy Chamberlin. I had no idea what the book was about. Our first assignment was read up Chapters 1-10. It is a very easy read and so far I'm really interested in reading through the book. It was really hard to stop after Chapter 10.

PS - I will be discussing the book, so don't read any further if you want to read the book.

Here are the questions from this week:

1. What was your first impression of Tim?
I thought he was a nice regular customer at CeeCee's cafe who was nice to her. I thought he really liked her and was generally wanted to help her. I did find it odd that he was much older than her - she is only 16, but I really wanted it to work out for them. (in the beginning)

2. If you were in CeeCee's position, would you be willing to help your boyfriend in the way that she is willing to help Tim?
This is a hard one, I feel like I understand why she helped him. It is the first person that she has really loved since her mother passed away, so I feel like she's clinging to the 'family' aspect of it. I, on the other hand, would NEVER do that. She was so worried about how she would continue to see Tim after the kidnapping.

3. Why do you think CeeCee is so eager to please Tim?
I think it's a couple of reason - 1 - she is in love with him and feels like Tim and Marty are family and 2 - she feels like she owes him because she thinks he gave her the money to go to school.

4. Who do you think has it harder Tim or CeeCee?
Tim does. He grew up with everything he wanted, family, love, money, vacations, etc. It's only been in the last several years that he has experienced true hardships and he doesn't know how to handle it. CeeCee has always had a hard life. Her father left, she was with her mother through a lengthy battle with cancer, she moved, she was with multiple foster families - she adapts better than Tim.

5. What character trait(s) about CeeCee stuck out the most of you in these first ten chapters?
I think her innocence, although she has been through a lot, she still is a child and in the way she is so honest with her feelings and emotions allows her innocence to shine through.

6. Do you think CeeCee is as mature as she seems?
Yes, I believe she is mature...but she is young and innocent.