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The Ties of Family  by Larner 3 Review(s)
Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/5/2005
I think that Lilac Gravelly did the right thing by bringing the letters and confessing to all present. I doubt that her adopted children would have forgiven her otherwise. Now, she may eventually have a chance to earn their love and trust once more. Seems as if their adopted father was almost as in the dark as the others were. I do feel sorry for Daisey. Not only did she miss her brother and sister's childhood, but everyone has been led to believe that she was resentful of them. Her reputation has suffered through no doing of her own.

Author Reply: I suspect that Emro knew what Lilac was doing. You'll note he didn't chide her for not mailing the letters, but for keeping them. But both were remiss in allowing all to believe Daisy had only contempt for Emerald and the twins.

It's a bit late, but at least Lilac is doing the right thing now.

KittyReviewed Chapter: 10 on 5/30/2005
Great chapter! It is amazing how Frodo cares so much about others although he is so ill. Truly, it is a great loss to the Shire that he is unable to stay. He is the best Hobbit in the Shire, no doubt!
As for Lilac - I am quite upset and annoyed about her behavior. Even if she wanted to raise the children, it was so wrong what she did with the letters and all. And even now she tried to still isolate them. She has probably destroyed a lot of the trust the children had in her, now that they know the whole truth and should have to work hard to regain this trust. And I am very relieved to know Frodo has intervened in this way and ensured they are raised properly in the future, even if he can't do more himself. Now there are so many people knowing the truth and Lilac can't hide their true relations any longer.
It would be interesting to watch Fosco and Forsythia on a visit to Minas Tirith. Frodo was right, they are Baggins after all, with some Tookish blood - they should have some need for adventures ;-)

Author Reply: Lilac has a good deal to make up for, definitely. But indeed Frodo is making certain the children will, from now on, get a proper raising and proper introduction to their families.

Glad you liked this chapter.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 10 on 5/26/2005
I love the way you put so much thought and detail into the legalities of things, and into the workings out of the various relationships. That which was seemingly illogical--Daisy not knowing about the children, the way in which the secret had been kept, and so forth, suddenly becomes very clear. And the way you worked out the detailed "custody" arrangement for the twins was very fair and equitable.

It's a shame that Lilac did not trust in the Bagginses to do the right thing. It is quite likely that she *would* have been able to foster the children, openly, and could have avoided the stress of years of keeping such a volatile secret, as well as the strain it has inevitably put on her relationship with the children. For though they will probably always love her as a mother, they will probably never trust her again.

I had a cousin who was adopted, back in the late forties. My uncle did not want her to know she was adopted, and forbid my aunt to let her know. After his death, a medical problem arose and she had to find out the truth. It put a certain amount of estrangement and bitterness between my aunt and her, and she never really forgave her mother for not telling her the truth. After my aunt died, she just quit keeping any ties alive between the rest of us, and I have not seen or heard of her since then--almost twenty-five years.

When I was a little girl, she was my favorite cousin.

Author Reply: We had a similar but not same family secret in our family as well, and it led to the estrangement between our younger brother and sister on one side and our older brother and me on the other side when it came out. It was a terrible blow, for I had always been so close to my sister. I've tried to heal the rift, but she will have nothing to do with me or Big Bro.

There had to be some reason why the existence of these children was not generally known, and some means at the end for them to finally come into their proper place within the Shire. And I believe Frodo would do his best to see this done for them before he left Middle Earth.

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