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I thought that many main problems were wrapped up by the ending. However, in some ways the ending kind of dropped off. What did you think? Was there information that you would have liked to have been included in the end?

I thought the ending was great. The characters seemed to have closure on many of the issues that bother them. The dropoff feeling is maybe the author's way of allowing the reader to keep thinking about the story well after they finished it.

I think you hit this spot on. A lot of issues were wrapped up nicely in the end and I think an incredible amount of progress was made within each character. If I could see something play out a bit further it would probably be Maureen's relationship with her mom. I hope that her mother would truly find a resolution with her issues and be able to repair her relationship with her daughter.

You are right. There is just something a little off
with the ending which I can not pinpoint. Maybe it would be better if Maureen's mother was there. Greater impact than just baking a cake but not being there. But maybe she was sick or something. Or if we knew why she stayed behind with her other daughter at home. Is she sick? Or is she too ashamed of what she did?

ElizaBeth Adams wrote: ↑01 Dec 2020, 11:47 I thought that many main problems were wrapped up by the ending. However, in some ways the ending kind of dropped off. What did you think? Was there information that you would have liked to have been included in the end?

I liked the ending because most of the characters found their peace. It is not a "grad finale" type of ending, but I appreciated it all the same. The author slowly fixes everyone's life and relationships step by step. I found it very authentic and relatable.

Most of the issues are resolved by the end of the book, while a few are left hanging. For example, Maureen's father has made up his mind about Maureen and Kalayla, so will he try to convince his wife to accept them? Will Maureen and Rico officially begin a new relationship or not? Will the LeeRoyce family change after Uncle Clarence's being threatened by Lena? I think the author probably leaves these to the readers' imagination.

I feel there is something off about the ending. Some questions are not answered. Did Maureen start a new relationship with Rico? What of the relationship between Maureen and her mum?

In my opinion, the ending was great. All the main problems in the story had been resolved.

raluca_mihaila wrote: ↑06 Mar 2021, 06:03

ElizaBeth Adams wrote: ↑01 Dec 2020, 11:47 I thought that many main problems were wrapped up by the ending. However, in some ways the ending kind of dropped off. What did you think? Was there information that you would have liked to have been included in the end?

I liked the ending because most of the characters found their peace. It is not a "grad finale" type of ending, but I appreciated it all the same. The author slowly fixes everyone's life and relationships step by step. I found it very authentic and relatable.

I do see where leaving some of the problems open contributes to some authenticity. Every issue in life is not wrapped up with a bow.

The ending was too abrupt for me. The author left a lot of questions. I wonder how Maureen and Rico's relationship developed. I also wonder if Lena got to spend time with her grandchildren.

I liked the ending, especially Lena's new love. However, I thought that the last scene with Clarence was a bit lacking. I wish we could have seen him getting the help he needs. I would have also liked it better if we saw more of Kalayla's discovery of her identity as a bi-racial person.

Yes, i feel like there was something off with the ending. It seemed rushed and some aspects were covered. But all in all, it was a great read.

Although I liked the ending as it tied up many loose ends, I had been waiting to read more about Jamal and Carlotta. I know that they weren't the central characters but because I found them interesting, I wanted to know more about their personal lives independent of their relations with the three main characters.

PeterRabitt20 wrote: ↑21 Dec 2020, 16:17 I thought the ending was great. The characters seemed to have closure on many of the issues that bother them. The dropoff feeling is maybe the author's way of allowing the reader to keep thinking about the story well after they finished it.

I agree. The ending didn't feel too abrupt because it allowed room for possibilities--positive ones that were not available at the beginning of the story. I liked being able to picture Kalayla continuing her dance lessons, Maureen thriving with her art and maintaining a good relationship with Rico, and Lena finally allowing herself to love again as she traveled the world with her new husband, Mattwo.

scaryeyes_25 wrote: ↑03 Mar 2021, 20:08 You are right. There is just something a little off
with the ending which I can not pinpoint. Maybe it would be better if Maureen's mother was there. Greater impact than just baking a cake but not being there. But maybe she was sick or something. Or if we knew why she stayed behind with her other daughter at home. Is she sick? Or is she too ashamed of what she did?

I think Maureen's mom just couldn't bring herself to come. She struck me as a very prideful woman, and sometimes that can be an impossible hurdle to jump over, especially for this woman who felt justified in disowning her daughter. She's very selfish and clearly still working through her prejudice, but her making the cake was an amazing first step towards reconciliation. Maybe the ending would have been sweeter if her mom had shown up in person, but I thought it was already very sweet and symbolic.