Hey, lovely friends! I’ve been spending a lot more time reading lately (and maybe staying up late to do so. . .) and the classics/old favorites have been on the top on the list. Reading the books I grew up reading reminded me why I loved them, especially the characters. There are some characters that have felt like true friends, ones that I’ve learned things from. I’m hoping to write more of these posts, but I chose three characters from my most recent reads to start with.
Bailey Flanigan
Bailey Flanigan is the main character of the Bailey Flanigan series by Karen Kingsbury. She is kind, caring, energetic and smart. She is a Christian, Broadway dancer, sister, friend, optimist, and costar in a movie!
Why do I like Bailey?
Bailey, although she’s a character in a book, feels like so much more. She’s authentic and relatable, like a friend you’d get coffee with and share all your hopes and dreams with.
What have I learned from her?
As I mentioned, Bailey costarred in a movie that did very well. That role gives her a voice, a way to speak and minister to young women. What she shares with them was beneficial to me too. Additionally, reading Bailey’s story, starting when she just graduated high school all the way to her wedding day, and how she faces and deals with the opportunities and challenges along the way, is inspiring.
Bailey is a girl with a strong faith. I loved reading about her relationship with Christ and how it changed her life and interactions, especially those in Hollywood and on Broadway.
Merry Hansen
Merry is the star character of Beverly Lewis’ Summerhill Secrets series. She is a lively, adventurous, fun-loving teen living in the heart of Lancaster County. She and her friends have some crazy experiences while they navigate the high school years.
Why do I like Merry?
Like Bailey, Merry is a relatable character; she reminds me a lot of one of my close friends. Merry and her brother have a great relationship, even though they sometimes get on one another’s nerves! All around, Merry is a sweet, girl-next-door character.
What have I learned from her?
Merry is in the stage of life I’m in right now: finishing high school, navigating crushes and love, and figuring out what comes next for her. I learned about friendships, and traditions, and being gracious with nosy neighbors.
Merry also taught me about dealing with pain and grief. She lost her twin sister when they were seven. The first book is about Merry learning to be okay with not being okay. Tears and sorrow over what was lost shouldn’t be stuffed away. I appreciated the way Mrs. Lewis wrote Merry’s story in such a resonant way.
Finley Hart
Finley too is the MC (seeing a pattern here? XD) of Some Kind of Happiness, my new favorite middle grade read. She is curious and investigative, stopping at almost nothing to find answers to her questions.
Why do I like Finley?
Finley is honest and blunt, yet compassionate and protective. I think Finley would be an excellent real-life friend. Also, I love her imagination! She’s like a modern-day Anne Shirley.
What have I learned from her?
The main premise of the book is Finley’s summer with her family. Up until then, she’d never met or spoken to this family (her dad’s parents and siblings). At first, Finley dreads the summer for that reason. She wonders why she has to meet them now, after twelve years of nothing. I relate to this so much because I was in a similar situation not long ago. Family relationships are hard! But Finley persists, and by the end of the summer she loves her family and wants to go back the next summer. So, from Finley, I learned that even when relationships are hard and uncomfortable, I should still make an effort.
Finley has what she calls her “blue days,” days when she feels sad and depressed. She doesn’t want people to know because she feels like there are others who have much more reason to be sad, and therefore she shouldn’t feel sad. Honestly, this is something I’m still working on, but reading about another girl’s experience and how she came to realize that blue days aren’t a bad thing was helpful.
let’s chat!
what book characters have you learned from? are there any that you wish were real so that you could be friends?
