What did you think of Franny and Niall's relationship? Why do you think they got married on their first "date"?

What did you think of Franny and Niall's relationship? Why do you think they got married on their first "date"?

Niall seemed pretty much too good to exist to me. I guess his character was a good foil for Frannie and represented the one person from whom she got unreserved love and acceptance. Getting married on the first date was part of the very romantic view the book presented of wildness and true spirits and soulful connections.

I enjoyed the whirlwind romance of Franny and Niall. Franny had already scoped him out: he had a mysterious appeal. I loved how fast everything moved: it was almost an unreal romance, and their speed helped draw us into their appealing situation.

I think they got married on their first date because they were both desperate for love and found something attractive in each other. Seems to me neither of them really had anyone who loved them the way they wish they could have been loved. Franny was attracted to Niall because of his love for birds and the planet in general. He loved her free spirit, almost like the birds he loved so much. It was a great part of the book, but somehow I felt it would never last.

I agree that Niall saw Franny as a free bird, one who lived by instinct and in the moment. They seemed to immediately recognize themselves as part of the other. Marrying right away seemed natural, although Franny had no faith in her ability to sustain the relationship. For awhile they were happy— he loved who she was, and she felt safe.

I agree with mceacd--I think the haste of their relationship had to do with them immediately recognizing a part of themselves in the other person.

Their relationship and first date marriage seemed totally unrealistic in real life to me, yet it worked in this story.
And as the saying goes, life is sometimes stranger than fiction. I really liked the parts of the book when they were together.

I very recently learned that a former student of mine met and then married her husband in three months time. I never would have expected this, knowing what I did of her when I knew her as a student. I can't explain that, so I'm not sure how well I'll do explaining Franny and Niall.

Niall was a scientist. A lot of his work was observation. I got the sense that he had the opportunity to observe Franny on various occasions before the first date/wedding. He studied her. He trusted what he observed and drew his conclusion.

Franny was more impulsive by her nature. She did what felt right to her when the moment struck.

Also, in some ways this book was about the terns just as much as it was about Franny and Niall. Terns make choices based on instinct. Here was another way the terns symbolized the relationship of Franny and Niall. They trusted their instincts about one another.

They definitely zeroed in on each other before their first date. They were kindred spirits from the start. They seemed to love and understand each other. Franny was surprised their marriage had lasted for a year.

I agree with acstrine - Niall observed Franny before he made the leap and Franny did things on impulse. I also think Franny needed someone to love her and she felt Niall did. And Niall needed a friend and someone to look up to him and Franny did.

Franny and Niall were two pieces of a puzzle that just fit together…perhaps a seemingly odd relationship by traditional standards, but they perfectly complimented each other. Niall was an academic, working, observing and studying in his lab. Franny was his wings, deeply caring about the same things he did, but experiencing it first hand in nature. When they met, they seemed to know they found their kindred spirits, so while the timing of their marriage was certainly uncommon, it worked for them and they were exactly what the other one needed.