Here's the truth: family is complex. We love them, we hate them, we hate those who don't love them. Lucky for us then, Chime explores some of those very real complexities of family. Yes, family can be a source of support and love, but it can also be a source of pain, sacrifice, psychological damage, and grief. In this book, family members support each other through illness, kill for each other, ignore each other, struggle to express love, and keep secrets from one another. And with Stepmother in the mix, the family dynamic just gets more confusing than ever.
Questions About Family
- How does Stepmother's addition to the family help Briony, Rose, and their dad? How does her addition hurt the family dynamic?
- Briony doesn't speak often of her mother, which makes sense because she never knew her. In what ways do you think she has been and is still an influence on the Larkin family though?
- Does Rose feel love for her family, or are her feelings toward them something else? How do you know?
- Both Eldric and Briony's families are without mothers. How might this reality affect each of the fathers in these families? How is the reality made different by the fact that the children in the Larkin family are girls, and Eldric is a boy (or boy-man as Briony would say)?
Chew on This
Briony's relationship to her family, though complicated, is a central concern and motivation for her actions.
Briony's attempts to protect and save her family often cause more harm to their relationship than good.