Final Thoughts on the Reality of Eleanor & Park

I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. But wow, poor Eleanor. I felt like Richie – while we knew he was volatile – wouldn’t actually want to kill her. I gave him to much the benefit of the doubt. I feel that this is far too common a reaction to seeing abuse.

When Eleanor gets to her aunt and uncles house, she overhears her uncle almost brushing off what she went through by saying “What if she isn’t telling the truth?” I can understand fear being replaced with skepticism, when the facts are explained, but in no way, NONE, was her uncle justified in trying to sweep Eleanor’s siblings under the rug by questioning the truthfulness of her story. What sixteen-year-old kid would drive all through the night to show up unannounced and proclaim she was being hunted by her stepfather just for it all to be a joke?

Of everything that happened in our last reading, Eleanor and Park’s date, their day alone, the catastrophe that is Richie, the drive to Minnesota, or Park finally driving a stick, the thing that disgusted me the most was that single line from her uncle. We knew Richie was going to happen – he was a time-bomb. We knew Park would be ready to save his love – he had already kicked Steve in the face for her. And we knew that Eleanor would try to distance herself from Park after saying good-bye – her clear refusal to say the word “love” to Park was evidence enough of that. I just never expected that the relief of being away from Richie could be ruined so quickly – from one line. I respect Rowell for that. That was artful.

I’m sad the book is over – as I am with almost every book – and I am happy the Eleanor and Park turned out ok (as far as we can tell) and I am glad that everything wasn’t just fixed with a magic wand, they still had to struggle, they had to fight for safety and that made it real.