Memory: Cats aren't the only ones interested in it (they just happen to be really good at singing about it). Since Midwinterblood goes down in reverse chronological order, you can bet that the characters' memories and their pasts play a huge part in the story. Memories don't serve as little glimpses into a time long gone—they're foreshadowing for future stories. It's actually pretty cool. Since this novel plays with time in a fun way, we're experiencing the characters' pasts as our future. It's crazy, but it also totally works.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- Why do Eric Seven's memories of his past lives start to bleed through once he sets foot on Blessed Island?
- Why would Tor want to keep Eric Seven from remembering? How does this help Eric become a better sacrifice?
- Why does Melle believe that passing on her memories as stories will be so important? What will happen to these memories if she dies without sharing them?
- How can a few joyful moments make a so-so lifetime worth living? Do you think Eric Seven and Merle are right in the end?
Chew on This
Midwinterblood upends our notions about time by telling its story backward and effectively flipping the place of the past and the future.
Love story aside, the biggest point this book tries to make is that the past is always present in the, well, present.