Blog 7

Blog 7: Our Lady in Chains ----- The Boatwright's are known in the town for having almost made up their own religion. They have a statue of Mary in their house and they have church services each week devoted to her. The thing that helped Lily find the Boatwright's was the picture of a black Mary on the honey jars that she saw in the store. The Mary statue is referred to by the sisters as Our Lady in Chains because, as the story goes, the statue was chained up for a night and somehow unchained itself by morning. Each service the sisters and their followers go up to the statue and touch the heart to remember what Mary has done for them. Rosaleen quickly joins in this ritual, but Lily takes more time to process what the statue means to the women. August is very much women-power oriented and so the emphasis on Mary is quite natural for her. There is a holiday that is in remembrance of Mary, complete with feasts and all. Lily has a breakthrough one night and goes into the living room with Mary. Lily is alone and she finally has the chance to come to Mary on her own terms. She asks Mary for help countless times; help to stay away from T. Ray, help to find May. The book is centered on many small things that all intertwine together; Mary and the religion of the sisters is at the heart of it all.