My girl : a novel, the first twelve chapters

Abstract

Ginny Moore is seventeen in the winter of 1950 when she gets hit by a car in a freak accident, resulting in the amputation of her legs from the knees down. The accident sets the scene for the novels' themes to expand and interact: Ginny must come to terms with living her life disabled, losing her dream of winning a math scholarship and attending university, and whether her faith in God is inherited or inherently her own.

The small Virginian town in which she lives still deals with the emotional and physical scars of WWII. Due to her injuries, Ginny starts identifying with local veteran Raymond Bennet, believing he's the only one who can really understand how she feels, despite all she hears pointing to the contrary. Additionally, she's blind to her father's potential to help her through her trauma. She idolizes him but fails to see his struggle with depression from his experiences as a soldier during WWI, and how she could relate to him on a deeper level.

Chapters One through Twelve set the groundwork for the climax and falling action in the ensuing chapters. Ginny’s existing relationship with her mother and long-time friend Sandra are tested, her new relationship with crush Bobby is overshadowed by Sandra, and Nurse Wallace—the only person who treats Ginny normally—leaves. The sudden, climatic, death of her father brings all these relationships to a crisis point and compels Ginny to examine the realities of her beliefs and whether she'll trust in herself or God.