There are some seriously not-so-good memories surfacing as we make our way through Just Listen. For most of the book we don't know exactly what happened to Annabel, but we know that it haunts her. And when she eventually reveals the memory that haunts her—the one in which Will Cash rapes her at a party—we see why it's been so hard for her to shake.
There are other memories and past events that dictate the way that Annabel and her family act, like Mrs. Greene's depression and finding Whitney passed out in the bathroom. But the memories are all bad in this book and there are some touching memories too—like the one where Whitney breaks her arm and Kristen saves her—that remind the Greenes that they are all family and can lean on each other, even when they feel utterly alone.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- Why do you think the book chose to wait to reveal the details of Annabel's rape?
- What is the significance of the memory of Whitney breaking her arm? Why does it stick out to all the sisters so much?
- How are Annabel's memories of certain conflicts with Clarke and Owen true? How are they not?
Chew on This
Their mom's depression continues to affect the Greene sisters long after she's recovered, and it is only when they stop thinking of their mother as weak that they are able to move forward as a family.
By using the same memory in different creative expressions, Kristen and Whitney are able to understand each other in a way they were never able to before.