Hearts Unbroken

“I’d been home long enough for the rhythm of my speech to downshift. I held myself looser, joked more freely, and shook off the stress that sometimes boiled up in my suburban good-girl mode.” 

Louise reflects on the ways in which her true personality surfaces with a weeks-long family road trip to Oklahoma tribal communities. While there, she listens to family stories and attends the Mvskoke Fest heritage event, a gathering with traditional activities, sports, music, and food.

“We didn’t need a thirty-five-hundred-member church, too.”

Louise relates her family’s attempt to find a new church upon moving to Kansas from Texas. They tried attending Immanuel Baptist, the large church where Peter Ney’s father is pastor, but they found the large congregation too impersonal. Louise and Hughie attend a large school of over 3000 students; the difference with a much smaller church would be a welcome change for the family. This is the first hint that Louise’s family may not feel a part of their new community and that the Neys may have something to do with their exclusion.

“I’m auditioning for the fall musical.” 

Hughie tells Louise how he plans to get involved at East Hannesburg High School. She is surprised, as Hughie is shy and introverted; he has no stage experience. Later, Louise realizes Hughie has a talent for singing, and she encourages him to prepare and confidently go after the role. This quote speaks to the close relationship between the siblings.