The House at Sugar Beach - Jennie's thoughts

Aunt Annette couldn't find any questions she liked for this book, plus she's been travelling, so we're going to just post our thoughts.
I should have done what Rebecca did and write down my thoughts immediately instead of now, but I'll do my best.
Things from this book that have stayed with me:

1. The history of Liberia - had absolutely no idea going into this book. Very interesting.
2. The breakdown in these African countries of all order - I just finished a book on Rwanda this past fall and it truly amazes me the level of atrocity a group can go to.
3. How quickly the "new regime" starts to act like the old one.
4. The impact the divorce had on Helene's family - while it was devastating, it didn't seem all that bad for them. She said she saw her father more once her parents divorced. But it had to have been a problem for her. I wonder if it has been the influence on her relationships as an adult. It would have to have an impact.
5. Helene's mother's choice to let the intruders rape her in order to protect her daughters. Aaron and I have discussed this, especially in light of "The Woman in Berlin" that I chose for March. I would do anything to protect my daughter from something like that. Would I make the same choice? I don't know. What Aaron pointed out, and I agree, is that you couldn't know that those men wouldn't just go ahead and rape the girls after the mother. That's putting a lot of faith in men who aren't really all that trustworthy. But I think I could handle it better than my daughter. Although it still traumatized her daughters, just in a different way. Frankly, I'd just as soon shoot them.
6. I think the family was a little blind to what was going on around them, not protecting themselves, not leaving Sugar Beach before it was too late.
7. The level of loyalty some of her Liberian friends had to Liberia, even after horrible things happened to them, amazed me. If something like that were to happen in America, if my family were killed, no, murdered by the government, I don't think I'd be sticking around. I wouldn't love my country after that. It wouldn't be America if that sort of thing went on. It wouldn't be my country.
8. She went so long without contacting her sister back in Liberia - I never understood why, really. Trying to distance herself from the country is different than distancing herself from family I think.

That's all I can think of now. I'll read what others post and comment.