Feathers

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child death, pregnancy loss, racism, ableism, bullying, and mental illness.

When Frannie returns home that afternoon, her mother is resting. This worries Frannie because her mother has faced physical and mental health challenges connected to Lila’s death and two pregnancy losses. When Frannie was eight, her mother was hospitalized for weeks after a pregnancy loss, and she was quiet and sad when she came home. Eventually, Mama recovered and expressed great gratitude and love for Sean and Frannie.

Sean tells Frannie not to worry about Mama, signing that she’s simply tired. Frannie thinks that if Jesus came back, she’d want to ask him how he holds onto hope even though people like her mother are in pain. She goes to her mother’s bedroom and kisses her forehead. Mama reassures her that she’s all right and is simply tired from raising her children. When Frannie points out that there are only two, Mama answers, “Already feels like more most days” (44). Frannie tells her mother about the Jesus Boy, and Mama points out that people can become accustomed to events that seem strange at first, like the presence of a new student.