Is it the people or the place that makes the difference?

At one point, Maya speculates that perhaps "your whole life is determined by what store you get left in" (page 85). Is it the people or the place that makes the difference?

Although there was a definite sense of place, the insularity of island life, etc., it was the people who made this such a good book. It was an interesting mix of personalities.

This raises the eons old discussion of what is more "weighty" in a person's life? Nature? Or Nurture? We all come hard wired a certain way and then there's environment. But perhaps most important of all is our free choice. As far as Maya's remark is concerned, we've all looked over at our neighbors or whomever, speculating how we would have turned out had we been born into another family with other circumstances. Maya's early life was something out of the ballpark.

I liked that comment of Maya's. But I don't think it is so much the place as it is the people. It was the people that came into the book store that made it what it was. AJ had assistance in raising Maya from all the people that came into the store after Maya arrived. After all, the mothers weren't coming in until they brought their children to play with Maya. AJ developed activities at his store to meet the needs of the people who came in to see Maya.

I found Maya's undestanding of her life so child like and charming, like many of her observations. Ultimately, I believe it's the people who make the difference. It is important to acknowledge that a place can have certain qualities that make it living better or worse but it's what the inhabitants do with those qualities that is important

It may be the people that are the tiping point for the place but i agree with Gin that it's what the inhabitants do with their community that makes all the difference. This story could be put in any community, you just need each of the characters Ms Zevin created.

Would the island be different without these people, of course. Would the people be different if they lived in a large metropolitan area, yes. It is the combination of these people in this place that makes the community what it is.

In this book it was definitely the people, all were unique and the characterization of each was amazing.

I like the posting of "maggiep". The island without the people in this book would be a different place. Thus, while the island provided a great backdrop to the story, the people were the ones that made the difference. But it was the combination of the two which made this such a great read.

The recent Education supplement in The New York Times had a great article on some points about classes that make the college experience for people. It came down heavily on the side of, if choosing between a topic vs. a charismatic professor, choose the professor because a PERSON CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.

It is definitely people as a classroom of new students every year make the classroom different.