Chapter 12
When Lily admits to August that she is her mother's daughter, but shocks her about August's response?
August already knew who she was
How did August know that Lily is Deborah's daughter?
Lily looks just like Deborah did at her age.
What does Lily do after August leaves her in the honey house after their walk?
Lily was so angry that she took one of the honey jars and threw it against the wall as hard as she could.
Why do Daughters of Mary rub honey all over Our Lady?
The Daughters of Mary rub honey all over Our Lady because they are preserving her body for another year.
How does having her mother's things and knowing the whole story affect Lily? What does she do?
It puts Lily in a state of grief. She can only think of her mother. She drew into herself and spent most of her time alone by the river. She rarely eats.
What reason does August give Lily for not telling her sooner about her mother?
"Because you weren't ready to know about her. I didn't want to risk you running away
again . . . . There's a fullness of time for things, Lily. You have to know when to prod and
when to be quiet, when to let things take their course. That's what I've been trying to
do."
How did August know Deborah?
She looked after Deborah when she was a little girl until she was 19. She was a housekeeper/maid in her home in Virginia.
What is Rosaleen's response when Lily asks her why she never told her what she knew about her mother?
''Oh Lily, why would I go and hurt you with something like that"
What does the hat box August brings to Lily in the honey house contain?
In the hat box that August brings to Lily, it has Lily's mother's pocket mirror that was oval shaped and surrounded by a tortoise frame, a hairbrush wrapped with a wooden handle, a gold pin that was shaped like a whale with a tiny black eye, a black book filled with English poetry, and the last thing in the box was a small oval picture frame of tarnished silver.
Where does Rosaleen go in her new red tent-like dress with big white flowers? Why is Lily concerned about her going there?
to register to vote at the Negro High School. The last time Rosaleen went to register to vote she pourned snuff juice on a white man's shoes and was arrested and beaten up
Why did June treat Lily so badly when she first came to the Boatwrights' house?
June didn't like Lily's mother because August had gone to work at Lily's mother's house.
Why did Deborah Fontanel come to Sylvan?
She felt lonely since her mother died. A friend of hers had recently moved to Sylva. Mainly she wanted to be close to August yet didn't want to admit it.
How did Rosaleen know that Deborah had left T-Ray and Lily?
She heard T-Ray on the phone discussing it with the neighbor who had watched Lily for several months. T-Ray was thanking her for all her help.
Who was supposed to send Lily a sign about her mother?
Lily thought that May must have made it to heaven and explained to Deborah about the sign that Lily wanted that would let her know that she was loved.
What does August take Lily out to see first thing in the morning?
to see the bee hives, where one colony is missing its queen
Who is Tica Tee?
Deborah's imaginary friend when she was a little girl.
Why did Deborah marry T. Ray?
She was pregnant with Lily
Why is the photograph in the hat box so important?
The photograph in the hat box was important because it was a picture of Lily and her mother.
What was significant about the hairbrush in the hat box?
It still contained a strand of Deborah's hair.
After talking with Zach on the telephone, Lily thinks, "Both of us, it seemed like, were doomed to misery." What does she mean?
She means that both would be stuck in miserable circumstances. Lily would have to go back to T. Ray, while Zach would face discrimination at the white high school
What does August tell Lily about her mother that makes Lily say, "I hate her"?
That Deborah had come to Tibrourn and left Lily with T. Ray.
What has August had to live without knowing all these years?
Never really know how Deborah died.
What did the photograph tell Lily?
That he mother loved her.
What was wrong with Deborah when she came to stay with August?
She was terribly depressed.
Lily sees August and June hugging on the floor. What does August say to June that she intends also for Lily?
"Regrets don't help anything, you know that."