From what I remember, Gia seemed to have a tolerant relationship with her family. Going on those trips home seemed an obligation and not a retreat home to re-charge and get back with the family. I think Gia realizes that IF anything happened to her, Vicki BELONGS with Jack. Jack is more a father than ever expected. A friend as well as a protector, who is better than Jack?

if you have to make an effort to keep a child involved with extended family, something isn't right.

]I grew up in Wisconsin, now living in Missouri. Not that great a distance, but I have to make an effort to go back with the kids for visits, even though I really enjoy visiting my family. There never seems to be enough time for it. I'll admit that my mom makes more trips down here than I manage to make up there.

I'm still just not seeing that there's really any strain in the relationship with Gia and her folks. That we haven't read about certain details like Vicky spilling her guts to her grandparents, I just figured was to keep the pace of the main plot moving. I figured also that Gia probably insisted she not tell anyone about certain things like the rakosh - otherwise she'd be blabbing it all over school too.

So it seems we have discovered a new offshoot of the Gia Must Stay / Gia Must Go debate.

I'm really curious what everyone else is thinking. Does Gia have a good relationship with her family or are those week-long trips to Iowa a painful obligation?

I agree with webby on this one. I don't see how "making an effort" is any indication that there is a strain in the relationship. My sister is a 15 hour drive (and nearly as long to fly) from me, and it takes major effort on both our parts, but I get along great with my sister. My parents live 45 minutes away and I don't see them more than once a month, but we have a great relationship.

I don't see the problem.

if you have to make an effort to keep a child involved with extended family, something isn't right.

Also, I seem to remember that Gia was raised on a farm. Farming is a lot of work, and generally not something you can leave for a few weeks . . . especially if there's a cow or two to be milked.

Also, there's the possibility that Gia wants Vicky to see what part of the rest of the world is like . . . the world outside of the "Megalops."

Ottumwa is over a thousand miles from New York, and just because we haven't read about Gia's relatives visiting New York, it doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

If all this stuff was explained in the books, we wouldn't be here. The books would be too boring.

(But it's fun to speculate.)

Ken V.

I grew up in Wisconsin, now living in Missouri. Not that great a distance, but I have to make an effort to go back with the kids for visits, even though I really enjoy visiting my family. There never seems to be enough time for it. I'll admit that my mom makes more trips down here than I manage to make up there.

I grew up in Colorado, and my mothers parents lived on New York. My grandfather was the "Super" of an apartment building and it was nearly impossible to leave . . . even for a short time. So, we would go back to visit them when we could.

I'm still just not seeing that there's really any strain in the relationship with Gia and her folks.

Neither do I. If there was, she probably wouldn't be sending Vicky back to visit.

That we haven't read about certain details like Vicky spilling her guts to her grandparents, I just figured was to keep the pace of the main plot moving.

I agree!

I figured also that Gia probably insisted she not tell anyone about certain things like the rakosh - otherwise she'd be blabbing it all over school too.

She probably did, but I also think that the Rakoshi were such a nightmare-experience for Vicky, that she would not be inclined to talk about it anyway.

I'm really curious what everyone else is thinking. Does Gia have a good relationship with her family or are those week-long trips to Iowa a painful obligation?

I think she has a good relationship. All the farming families I've known were pretty close. Living together, working together, you learn to co-operate and get along.

Ken V.