Discussion Point by Steph~4~Knowing it isn't really fiction?

**Rhonda** · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:18 pm Post subject:

I took it a lot more serious knowing that this was written from the heart.

It made me think more into the parts where he used comedy to hide tragedy.

And It made me care about the other characters in the story. I want to know what happened to them!
Im amazed by the human spirit. Everyone takes tragedy and spins it their own way. Its nice to have a story that has so much heart ache - have a good future come out of it. Junior has a good spirit!

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TwilightMoms is My happy Place......

**Joanne Maria**

Rhonda wrote:

Steph asks:

How does knowing that this isn't really
fiction affect your feelings about the novel?

It makes me want to pass a copy out with the story of the authors life, to everyone in the world. I want to shout..OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE..SEE WHAT WE DO TO EACH OTHER..WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.. LET'S TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER!!!

sorry, had to get it off my chest...

_________________
"I didn't want to be the monster! I didn't want to kill this room full of harmless children! I didn't want to lose everything I'd gained
in a lifetime of sacrifice and denial!
I wouldn't! She couldn't make me.
*EDWARD-Midnight Sun*

**julibean** · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:08 am Post subject:

Knowing it is real just makes it tug that much more on the heartstrings. It also makes it more inspirational, knowing that someone can overcome such heavy obstacles and make so much of their life. It makes me want to just get over whatever has me dragging and get on with life!

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"Your hair looks like a haystack...but I like it."

**catzgirl** · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:18 am Post subject:

CaliCat wrote:

So I guess to answer the question; knowing this book is based on a true story amazes me. It makes me realize how important encouragement can be. It makes me realize how you can do anything you want, if you want it bad enough. It makes me want to never give up trying...and when I think things are getting to hard, I'll think of Junior. Who lived through more tragedy and hardships than anyone should ever have to deal with. But he went against all odds and chased his dreams....and found them.

I absolutely agree! Thanks, CaliCat, for being so eloquent.

**BeautifulDisaster** · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:55 pm Post subject:

I've learned over the last few years that most of us are surviving our own versions of tragedy on a regular basis. What devastates one is nothing compared to what another can weather without batting an eye. So I've come to understand that my personal feelings about a person's situation aren't nearly as important as THEIRS. My part is to observe and admire- and learn from it if I can.

*ducks in anticipation of flying tomatoes*

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**Caroline** · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:39 pm Post subject:

Knowing that it is autobiographical just makes the story even more inspiring, and it reminds me how important it is to let my kids know every day that they are amazing and that they can do whatever they put their minds to, and how important it is to teach tolerance and love, and it makes me think about how trivial some of the things I worry about are, and how blessed I am....

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" And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..."
"What a stupid lamb", I sighed.
"What a sick, masochistic lion."-Twilight

**Kel** · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:07 am Post subject:

It makes my heart weep for him because I lost my father and all three of my grandparents that I have even knkow and was rape all within on year. It started 8 days before my 12th birthday in Feb and ended at the end of Oct of the same year. So within 9 months I went from a sweet child, to a grown women. Dealing with things that most grwon people would have to deal with.

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**bixby** · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:25 am Post subject:

Yeesh! Well on one hand it's amazing to think that the author rose above even more tragedies or challenges than Junior has to face and becomes a successful and accomplished author. Knowing this, I will probably go back and reread the book with a new perspective. I think I would take Junior a little more seriously this time around- my first time through I mostly just got a big kick out of him and his descriptions of himself and life around him.

**KristinLynn** · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject:

Well, I had a feeling it wasn't fictional because there was just too much about it that felt so real. I love the boy humor! Having grown up with an Alpha-like big brother there was always boys at our house, stinky boys with their sense of humor. It was too papable to be fake.

Very poignant last line, how much better would we be off if we didn't keep score?

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2 Cor 5:19 Such Love!!!

**moonlight** · Newborn Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

I love what you said, beautiful disaster. You explained just how I feel, and you explained it so well!

**Jenny** · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:04 am Post subject:

*gypsy wings* wrote:

I want to know if the cantaloupe part was autobiographical...

Hilarious!!

The fact that this story is true makes me happy to be human. We are capable of so much. Yes, we have tragedies, but we can perservere. Junior shows us how to triumph when times are tough.

I just asked my husband to read it. He and Sarahpat have lost their dad and 2 brothers. Such a terrible thing to go through. I'm hoping my husband will find the book uplifting and comforting.

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Sarahpat and me, and our boyfriend!

"Well, I'm nearly a hundred and ten. It's time I settled down."

**chocoholic** · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject:

CaliCat wrote:

At the same time, I think it was sort of inspirational. I mean, here's a kid, who has water on the brain....who talks with a lisp. Who wears glasses, and lives on a reservation...someone who everyone picks on, and someone who has no future for himself. But one person helps change his life. It wasn't an easy change...there was a lot of pain along the way. But he knew what he wanted, and worked hard to achieve it. He refused to give up.

So I guess to answer the question; knowing this book is based on a true story amazes me. It makes me realize how important encouragement can be. It makes me realize how you can do anything you want, if you want it bad enough. It makes me want to never give up trying...and when I think things are getting to hard, I'll think of Junior. Who lived through more tragedy and hardships than anyone should ever have to deal with. But he went against all odds and chased his dreams....and found them.

I was going to go waxing philosophical, but no need. Calicat's post says a lot. Thanks for putting that so eloquently!

I would only add that I did know the book was autobiographical while I was reading. Knowing that made me take the book very seriously which is why I was so pleasantly surprised by the humor. I admired the author's wit and humor in the face of so much tragedy. It gives one hope to know that challenges can be met with this kind of grace. Had this been a work of fiction, it would not have evoked the emotional response from us that it did.

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**yogagurl** · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:43 pm Post subject:

Knowing what he wrote IS true, ( I could tell reading it...), makes me love and respect him all the more. What a brave, brave kid!!!

How well would we fare in his shoes?

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~~~My Edward is actually a Sam~~~