Book Club: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes (Chapters 11 - 20)

This week for the Book Beginnings and Bookends book club, we were assigned chapters 11 – 20. I am trying really hard to stick with only reading what is assigned each week because I am also trying to read another book as well, but I am finding that I am really starting to get into the book, so it’s hard to put it down when I am finished with the assigned chapters. It’s also a really quick read, and I can read the 10 chapters in about 2 nights. I think if I allowed myself, I could finish the whole book in 2 days, but for now we will stick with the assigned chapters.

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In this section of the book, the kid-napping takes place. Things seem to go as planned. The boys end up capturing the governor’s wife (Genevieve) and bring her back to the cabin in the woods where CeeCee is hiding out. The only glitch in their plan, and it’s a big one, is that Genevieve is pregnant, and I mean ready to pop pregnant.

The boys take off to begin negotiations, and shortly after, Genevieve starts to feel contractions. At first CeeCee thinks she is just doing this to try and get away, but then the baby starts coming, and she is coming fast. CeeCee begins to think how she can get this woman to a hospital, but isn’t even sure where she is in the woods and how to get out of there, let alone whether or not if there is a hospital nearby. Genevieve tells CeeCee she is going to have to help her deliver the baby, so CeeCee begins making preparations for the baby to come.

The baby is delivered rather quickly and she seems to be in perfect health. Genevieve on the other hand, had complications with her first child with hemorrhaging, and seemed to be having these same complications as well. She warned CeeCee if she started to pass out she will need to massage her belly where her uterus is. CeeCee tries her best, but Genevieve dies shortly after the baby is born.

CeeCee has no idea what to do, and debates just dropping the baby off at the hospital, but then again, has no idea where a hospital is. She goes back to Naomi’s house to get help. Naomi tells her she must get out of here and go into hiding, and she begins making plans for CeeCee to go into hiding, along with the baby. Naomi’s husband Forrest goes back to clean up the cabin and to bury Genevieve, and Naomi starts getting together the paperwork to get CeeCee and the new baby a new identity so they can go “underground.” CeeCee stays with Naomi and Forrest for probably about a day or so. They help teach her how to take care of the baby, and set her up with all the supplies she will need to take the trip from NC to Virginia where her new home will be.

CeeCee leaves for Virginia and has this great plan to drop off the baby at the governor’s house with a note that this is his baby. She attempts to do so, but there are too many police around so she just heads on to Virginia to begin her new life.

CeeCee is now Eve and the baby is now Corrine (Cory). They stay with a woman named Marian who is an older woman who has helped a few women in the past. She is a daycare worker and offers to watch Cory while CeeCee/Eve attempts to get a job. The rest of this section is about Eve and Marian getting along, and Eve beginning her new life. Eve still misses Tim, and wonders what is going on with the case, and if he will ever come find her. Marian tells her she needs to forget about Tim, that there is no way he will ever be able to come find her because it would be too dangerous for him, Eve, the baby and even Marian.

The discussion questions for this week are:

1. Where do you think Tim and Marty are at this point in the story?

I think they are probably in hiding trying to negotiate with the governor, but after they found out that Genevieve had died, who knows what they are up to. I have no idea if they are even in the same state anymore, let alone the same town.

2. What were your thoughts as CeeCee was helping Genevieve deliver her baby?

At first I thought Genevieve was faking the contractions. I figured this was her strategy to get CeeCee to get her out of there. But then when the baby started to come, I thought oh no, what is CeeCee going to do?! I kept reading on very quickly so I could see what happens. I don’t know what I would have done in CeeCee’s shoes. She was in a tough situation because I know she wanted to do what was best for both the baby and Genevieve, but I don’t think she knew what to do. She had no idea how to get them to a hospital, and obviously had no idea how to deliver a baby.

3. After Genevieve died, what would you have done with her baby if you had been in CeeCee's shoes?

This is tough. I would like to think I would find a way to return the baby, even if it meant turning myself in. I don’t think I could live with the guilt, but at the same time you feel bad because CeeCee’s life is just starting, and the consequences of getting involved with Tim may ruin her life if she turns herself in.

4. Why do you think CeeCee/Eve is still holding onto hope that Tim will come for her?

She is only 16, and this is her first love, so of course she is holding on to the hope that Tim will come after her to save her. When we are young, we all dream of our prince charming coming in on their white horse to save us (of course sometimes I still dream that now), until we get our heart broken a few times that is.

5. How do you think Eve will establish her new identity in Virginia?

I think she is going to have to completely start over and it is going to be hard to remember the new life she now has to live. It broke my heart though that she has to lose the letters from her mother.

6. What do you think of CeeCee/Eve now after she has gone through with the kidnapping, the delivery of the baby, the escape, and the relocation?

I feel bad for CeeCee, although she did get herself wrapped up in this whole plan. She is just so young and I kind of believe she didn’t really know better. I guess I was shocked at how easy it was for CeeCee to get a new identity and how quickly she was able to find a place to hide out. It’s like they have this whole underground system. I feel really bad for baby Cory because she will never know who her real parents are. I think that is what makes me sad about the most.