Every part of this book is named after the characters in it.
Meggie: It was Meggie's fourth birthday. Meggie Cleary lives in New Zealand and has six children. Meggie is the only girl and the youngest child. She is very beautiful and lovely. The life of a family is still relatively hard.
The hostess Fei was born in a famous family, but inexplicably married Paddy, who was just a laborer. Family is still harmonious. Only Frank and Paddy, the eldest son, always have some bad feelings.
Meggie went to school and was always bullied at school (because their family was poor), but life went on anyway. Frank wanted to be a soldier, but he was stopped. Since then, the relationship with my father has become even colder.
Ralph: Ralph, my hero, is a priest. He swore before God that he would always belong to him alone. He stayed alone in Drogheda, Australia. In order to raise money for the church, he needed to please the richest woman in the area, Mary Carson (Paddy's sister).
Mary Carson is a rich and arrogant woman. As she had no children, she let her younger brother live in Australia and left their property to them after her death.
So, after some bumps, the Paddy family came to this strange continent. They were received by Ralph. Mary is keenly aware that Ralph is infatuated with Meggie. That year, Ralph was twenty-nine and Maggie was eleven.
The family has settled down and been very busy. Meggie was not abused in the new school, because everyone knows that she has a rich aunt (this is the power of money! )。
Because Fei was pregnant again, Frank resented his father for making his mother suffer, and there was a fierce conflict between them. Paddy was angry and told the truth that Frank was not his own child. Meggie was greatly stimulated. Paddy told Ralph,
No one knows who Frank's real father is. Fei had to marry Paddy because he had no children. Ralph thinks it's a good thing that he will never fall into this emotional vortex (Ralph, you are wrong! )。
Fei gave birth to twins again. The boy born before, Meggie's favorite little brother, fell ill and died. Meggie is very sad.
Frank left, and Fi endured, trying to suppress her feelings.
Meggie grows up day by day, and Ralph always gives her great care (I can't find a particularly suitable word to describe it). Meggie secretly loves Ralph, which causes Mary Carson's dissatisfaction, jealousy and resentment. Before she died, in order to separate them, she made a will and donated all her property to the church instead of her brother.
Then, the church was shocked. Ralph won't betray his God because of Meggie. He could destroy the will, but he didn't. He admitted that he had failed. In revenge for what she will never get, Mary made Ralph never get his love.
Ralph didn't want to see Meggie grow into a beautiful girl and marry him, so he chose to leave. Before he left, he kissed Meggie (Ralph was a man, not a priest).
Paddy: The Cleary family didn't inherit property, but Mary left them her mansion and a ranch, and their life became a little richer. Ralph and Meggie are far apart and miss each other. Fei learned from the newspaper that Frank had been killed and imprisoned. She was very sad. She loves Frank more than anyone else, which is why Paddy doesn't like Frank.
In a dry year, Paddy was unfortunately trapped by a fire caused by lightning. Before he died, he was still calling Fei's name. ...
Stuart was crushed to death by a wild boar when he found his father's body. After this great change, Ralph came back. He finally admits to Meggie that he loves her and has always loved her, but he can never be her husband (similar themes include The Scarlet Letter). Ralph finally became a bishop.
Luke: A new shepherd named Luke. Luke was born in a poor family and dreamed of becoming rich, so he began to pursue Meggie. Meggie also has a crush on Luke because he looks like Ralph (love me, love my dog? )。 Two people fall in love and then get married. But Meggie didn't write and tell Ralph.
After the marriage, Luke gradually revealed his true colors. He is very stingy with Meggie, even almost harsh. Not only occupied Meggie's property, but also left the rich Drogheda with Meggie and came to North Queensland (a place where the climate is desolate and uninhabitable). Also let Meggie go to other people's homes to work (Meggie can't see the salary! Too much! ), cut sugar cane and work hard just to make money! Meggie grew tired of all this, and she gave Luke an ultimatum: if all this didn't change, she would leave Luke and return to Drogheda.
Luke remained aloof, but Meggie got the child she wanted. During childbirth, Luke went on the rampage when he learned that Meggie was pregnant, so naturally he wouldn't be with him. At this moment, someone came. Annie (Meggie's employer) thought it was Luke, but she was wrong. It's Ralph.
When Justin was born, Meggie and Ralph had a big fight. "You ruined my life!" "(without Ralph, how could Meggie find a Luke with double body, who suffered so much but got nothing? ! ), Ralph is gone.
Meggie became haggard after giving birth to a child. Zhu Siting is half a year old. Annie asked Meggie to spend her holiday on an island alone. At the same time, Ralph got a promotion and wanted to go further in Europe. Before he left, he wanted to see Meggie again. Annie told him where Maggie was and said, no one will see you.
Then ... I said, if people can face up to their weaknesses, not be hypocritical and not take on the so-called responsibility, can they live a happier life?
Meggie officially broke up with Luke after he came back and returned to Drogheda.
Fiona: Meggie's son Dane was born, which is the only thing she can get from Ralph, so it's a treasure. To some extent, this also repeats the mistake of Fei.
The Second World War began, and Meggie's twin brothers took part in the war. They came back alive, unlike many other children who never came back, but one of them lost his fertility forever, and Meggie's other brothers didn't intend to get married again.
Ralph was promoted to cardinal (one of the papal candidates) and returned to Drogheda to visit Meggie. When I saw Dane, I felt jealous because he thought it was Luke's son. Ralph sincerely hopes that it is his son, if he doesn't have a church ... but if he doesn't have a church, he won't know Meggie. Maybe it's God's will. What I give you will also make you lose something. I have known Meggie for thirty years.
Frank finally came back, although there is a gap, but it is still a happy event.
Dane: Justine decided to become an actress (she has an autographed photo of laurence olivier), and Dane also decided her destination-to become a priest. This is reincarnation. Meggie is in great pain. She stole from Ralph, but she still wants to return it. Instead of letting Dane go somewhere else, it is better to give him back to Ralph (Ralph doesn't know Dane's life story) and let Ralph "cardinal" train well. ...
Dane was so perfect that everyone saw the obvious truth except Ralph himself. At the same time, Zhu Siting also met a man who pursued her.
Dane became a priest. Justin was supposed to go to Greece with her, but the performance was postponed. The news came that Dane drowned in Greece to save the drowning woman.
Don't talk too much about their sadness. Because of the Greek revolution, Dane's body was not transported back to Drogheda in time. Meggie's only wish was to have his son buried in his native land, so he had to ask Ralph for help and tell him the truth.
Dane came back, but Ralph felt more empty than ever. Did he really get nothing? Didn't find it Still afraid of finding out, don't want to find out? Dane is not his own son, which is Ralph's deepest hope, because he has no courage to face his sins.
Finally, he fell into darkness, lost his care and died in Meggie's arms.
Zhu Siting: Zhu Siting has always blamed herself, thinking that Dane had an accident because she didn't protect her brother. So I have been afraid to go home and face my mother. But she felt it was too cold, and her acting career was developing well, but Justin was not happy. Finally, she decided to go back to Australia to settle down, even though her lover proposed to her.
Meggie wrote to tell her that her happiness is their happiness. Zhu Siting is the only descendant of this family. Zhu Siting will not be happy to stay in Australia, so she advised Zhu Siting not to sacrifice herself for them.
The Cleary family, which once had so many sons, has become a white-haired old man, and history will eventually be forgotten by future generations.
Zhu Siting married her beloved on the other side of the ocean. Meggie received the telegram, only feel calm, without a trace of regret.
Each of us is a thorn bird, knowing clearly that the road ahead is bumpy, but for the sake of real beauty and the ideal of life, we are doomed to pay an unspeakable price. We never regret it, because we know the price. I believe this courage is far more precious than what you get.