Effie is obviously hesitant to return to New Zealand, so why does she go? Have you ever felt compelled to do something you dreaded?
I think Effie still missed her home and her siblings. The appearance of Anya who looked so much like her spurred Effie to wonder what happened to her siblings.
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Her hesitancy to return was understandable; but after meeting Anya her curiosity about her siblings surfaced and could not be ignored. I think she also felt a sense of responsibility.
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Sometimes you have to do what you don’t want to do because it’s the right thing to do!
I think she returned due to loyalty to and love for her family and even Lewis. By returning, I think Effie was sacrificing her own boundaries.
I think Effie went back due to the picture of the girl who looked so much like her, as well as Lewis wanting her to come. It felt to me like she was completely drawn to do this, even though she knew it would be difficult to go back to New Zealand. Her family was there and she deeply wanted to know what had happened to them. I have done smaller things I dreaded, but nothing so major! I think I weighed the benefits at the time.
I think the hook was that the child was reported to look like her. She must have realized that the child was related to her somehow and that she had a duty to return.
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And Effie’s mindset was clearly “duty bound” as we learned in the initial chapters.
Effie had a deep longing to see Lewis and to find out about her family. Also, the circumstances of the young girl’s appearance in town were so similar to her own, including that the young girl looked just like her. Lewis wanted her to come.
She went because of Anya, of course. If nothing else than to discover who she is, and help her if necessary.
I think Effie returns to New Zealand for several reasons. The young girl who came out the bush might be related to her. She wonders if her father is still alive. She harbors a desire to rekindle a relationship with Lewis. A part of her wants to recover a lost part of herself.
I’ve had to overcome much smaller dreads than the one Effie faced. I’ve sometimes dreaded starting difficult conversations, but after a time of procrastination I’ve plunged in. Sometimes things go well, sometimes they don’t. Again, the outcome hanging in the balance might have some effect on my career but it was nothing compared to what could have happened to Effie if she lost herself in the tangled relationships of her youth.
I think Effie was moved to return by two things. The first, the little girl looked like her and brought back memories and second, seeing Lewis was a big draw. I don’t remember going back to a place but I do know that going back in your mind to troubling times can be just as hard as actually going back to the place.
I think Effie wanted to go back to see Anya and determine if she was a relative. She knew Anya needed help.
Effie is bound by her love for Tia and her younger siblings and her trip back is also to help her overcome her guilt for leaving them.Lewis also probably plays into her want to return.
Sometimes your mind forces you to do something that you never thought you’d do. I think that the only reason she returned to New Zealand was to find out more about what had happened to her family.