Mother Memories

    Lade's life is on a standstill - anticipating whether or not you're going to die today can do that for you - and hearing one voice takes her into a trance. She remembers all the times her mother, Jean, subtly said her daughter was ugly; that she was ashamed to have a daughter that "looks like that." And it hurts. As Lade goes through these memories, her willingness to live begins to slide... Why should she survive if her mother can't even live with her - all because of her hair and eyes?

    I'm smiling as I make these memories. "Why?" you ask, well, your readers have to connect with your characters. There has to be some children who have thought that their parent's aren't proud of them. This is what Lade is feeling almost all the time. Because of Hitler's law (any blonde blue-eyed person or any person aiding this individual is to be executed to avoid rebellion) her mother begged to have Lade's hair dyed; to have optical surgery; anything to change her daughter's looks ... only because Jean is afraid of what Hitler would do to Jean.