The Lovebird is divided into two distinct sections. Do you prefer one over the other?

The Lovebird is divided into two distinct sections. Do you prefer one over the other?

I preferred the section when she was in Montana with her 'family' there. I loved the quietness of her life and her realization that she was attaining true love and commitment to a new way of life.

I agree with bonnieb---the Margie in Montana was easier to understand (just as I thought it was easier for the character to understand herself when she was there).....

Montana, hands down! Margie was becoming herself.

Definitely the Montana half. I was not really enjoying the book that much untill she arrived there.

Yes, while I found both sections of interest, I was more drawn to the second section than the first. I admire the folks on the Reservation, their commitment to their life style and the struggle they have had over the years to maintain that. This is especially true considering the years when their children were taken from them, put into boarding schools and made to "assimilate" into a culture not their own. While they may seem to be simple folk, as one reads of Grandma's life and her attempts to not lose her language, her customs, her religion, one sees that she is a complicated woman after all. She wants to pass her knowledge, her life style along to Jim and to Cora and works in a subtle way to incorporated her desires to this effect into their thoughts each day. A moving part of the book.

I really liked the second section the best. I enjoyed reading about the life on the reservation and seeing Margie grow to an adult in this environment. Also, the history of the Indians and their life was the best part of the book.

I thought both sections were interesting. To me the most fascinating part was the contrast between the two sections. It was almost like reading two separate books but Margie's character changes seemed authentic and connected the two sections.

It seems that all of us who responded to this question preferred the second half as did I. It felt more real, more human and more inviting. Having worked on reservations in Colorado and Utah I could definitely bond with Margie (as she became), Cora, Gramma and others. I loved it!