A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry tells the story of a thirteen year old, Meg Chalmers, her older sister Molly and their parents, Charles and Lydia Chalmers. One day their parents announce that they are moving to a country farmhouse, which leaves Meg and Molly shocked, especially Meg who is shyer and more reserved the her popular and flawless older sister. They are heartbroken to be take away from their school, friends and house that Meg grew up in her whole life. But there is a silver lining, they will only have to live on the farm  for a year. Once they all settle into their new house, Meg has trouble making friends and fitting in, unlike her sister who after one week their has three best friends and a boyfriend. Not for long does Meg stay alone, she meets and elderly man who once had a wife named Meg. They come upon interests that they each share, especially photography. Everything was going swell until Molly began a continuous amount of nosebleeds, the hospital visits, and the hospital visits turned into over night stays, then never going home again. They later find out that Molly has been diagnosed with leukemia. Then they hear that she is slowly dying, but Meg doesn't quite understand because she looked up to her sister her whole life and the thought of her dying tears her apart. My interpretation of this is that Meg's parents should have informed her of what was happening to her sister when they first found out, not a month later. Meg has never experienced death before,  her parents could have informed her about the situation. I believe a humongous lesson in this part of the book is to never take people for granted. 

One important observation in this book is about Meg and her relationship with Molly while she is ill. "Time goes on, and your life is still there, and you have to live it. After a while you remember the good things more often than the bad. Then, gradually, the empty silent parts of you fill up with sounds of talking and laughter again, and the jagged edges of sadness are softened by memories." This quote represents how Meg is feeling and finally understands that what is happenning to Molly is for a reason, and that she has to let her go but still hold onto the memories they shared throughout the years. Another quote that shows her relation to Molly is when Meg realizes that her older sister, that she looks up to is changing for the worst, and Molly isn't Molly anymore. "Then Mom said that if it got worse, they would buy her a wig... Molly's hair is starting to fall out, and this is a really difficult time for her." After this was said to Meg she realized nothing was ever going to be the same with Molly and the way they lived before. Meg knew now that her life has just been turned upside down. In the midst of the slow progress of Molly's leukemia, meg develops friendships with and old man and a young couple expecting a baby. Both contacts help normalize her world, provide her with "reality checks" and give her a quality of attention her parents can't manage at the time. After the baby is born, Meg gains a new perspective on the precarious miracle of life and finds the courage to got to the hospital to see Molly, now in the final stages of the disease. Meg and her parents are emotionally reunited in their loss, and in the last chapter Meg reflects on the paradox of healing that doesn't cover over the loss, but allows life to be good again in different terms. 

Molly is having trouble coping with the fact that she is losing her sister, until she meets reality, she meets people who breath the same air as her. In the book I found a quote that describes when Molly's family could have figured something was terribly wrong. "Molly's had the flu all of February..."

This was the first clue of foreshadowing. Meg and her parents should have figured that it is not normal to be ill with the flu that long, its usually lasts at most a week. The drama in the family is causing Meg to understand her family more.

Molly is like a cut, Meg and her parents are the band-aid, they stick on and try to heal what has been hurt. Then, the cut heals, does the band-heal? No, it was only there to protect. In the book Meg and her parents are being very caring for Molly, yet I feel as if there is no emotion as to how they care for Molly. "Suddenly, very quietly, Molly got up, went over to Dad, and climbed onto his lap. he didn't say  anything. He just put his book down, put his arms around her, held her, and watched the fire." (p.93)

This quote displays empathy. It shows that the parents are there for Molly through the time of trouble. Up until this part in the book is the first clue that the parents were caring for her. Throughout the book, there were multiple parts that lacked emotion, and this is the part where it brought everybody together.

In conclusion, Molly needed the care she never received, Meg's stubborn self left her behind the truth, she was too scared for Molly. Molly dies shortly later in the book, and Meg is crushed she can't seem to remember the memories they had but only the fights. The main character Meg has learned to never take things-especially people- for granted. In the end, they shortly move back to the city, but this time there are only three of them, no Molly.