Of Lidy, Elsie says, “Right or wrong, but never indifferent. She was a Strong through and through.” Did you agree with the steely matriarch’s decisions to do what she thought best—whether keeping a painful secret or ending a life prematurely?’
I have to say, Lidy was one of my favorites. She personified the strong (no pun intended) resourceful pioneering woman one often hears about. No matter what needed to be done, she did it. She relied on her wits, her hard-life experiences, and her Ozark superstitions to guide her. She was tough-as-nails yet loving & kind in her own way, as could be seen in her relationships with neighbors and the way she raised the three girls as practically her own. I believe, rather than be ruled by a strict code of ethics such as scriptures might have laid out, Lidy operated comfortably with moral ambiguity. She supported her family’s illegal moonshine business to allow the family to be clothed & fed, she killed her abusive alcoholic husband to protect her son & herself from his frequent attacks, she killed her daughter-in-law Alta to prevent her from being in an ongoing vegetative state, & she attempted to cause Elsie to abort to prevent the heartache she perceived Elsie would suffer because of her pregnancy. While I don’t justify any of these acts, I do believe that Lidy felt that it was the kindest option available to help those she loved.
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I found Lidy’s moral ambiguity to be a bit unsettling. She successfully raised and attempted to prepare her granddaughters for life’s challenges. Most importantly, Lidy had demonstrated to these girls, time and time again that the Strong family is able to deal with whatever confronts it. The circumstances of Shine’s birth was a perfect example. However, she failed to acknowledge to herself that they have grown to adulthood and should be, and have the ability to make their own personal choices. Underhandedly taking matters into her own hands by attempting to abort Elsie’s baby was just wrong.
I loved Lidy and I found it hard to judge her! She did do somethings that I really did not agree with (trying to abort Elsie’s baby was the major one), but I do understand keeping Shine’s paternity a secret. Hiram loved Shine, Lidy loved Shine… Why let it be known at that time and potentially hurt the child? She was a tough woman who helped raise those girls into tough women and Lidy’s end really hurt.
Lidy is a bit terrifying. I wonder how many other Lidy victims died before their time!
I appreciated Lidy’s complexity; it made her a much more interesting character. And I suspect there were a lot of Lidys in rural areas who were guided more by pragmatism than morality. Granted, her moral code is different than mine and many of her actions wouldn’t be allowed in today’s world (if anyone discovered them) but women had to do whatever it took to survive in those days. I certainly don’t judge the Lidy character.
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I loved Lidy as a character. Strong women have to make quick decisions to survive. If they feel a decision protects their family, it is a right decision. Difficult decisions have to be made sometimes.
I loved Liddy. She put family first. She cared more about them then societal rules. Her character’s actions showed more about how lack of birthcontrol punishes a woman. Elsie and Alta life were ruined while the men walked away
Lidy was a very strong character but I did like her very much. It wasn’t easy trying to rein in three granddaughters and a somewhat useless son. I understand why she seemed very stern and unyielding but her qualities were very understandable for that period of time.
I think she was realistic and believed she did the right thing. But morally, I cannot get there. Of course I am looking at it from 2026 and not the early 20th century. The viewpoints are quite different between the 2 eras.
I think Lidy was the consummate pragmatist. These were tough times and she made decisions she thought would help those she cared about survive. She made decisions she thought would best support the quality of life not necessarily its duration. She applied this thinking to herself after her stroke. I admired her. I thought she was the strongest Strong. I didn’t like that she died in a fire. She had to suffer in death in a way I regretted for her.
I hate Lidy felt she had to make some difficult decisions. With the author’s story of back-woods characters years ago, it doesn’t surprise me that people considered ending a life that was not to recover a blessing. Today, we have drugs that do the same thing.
I found Lidy to be a little bit scary. I am wary of people who are so sure they are right. However, I don’t think the family could have survived without her.