Waterfall Wednesdays #4

Hello, hello! It's Wednesday again, which means time for another installment of thought-provoking questions about one of my favorite books of the year! Oh heck yes, I'm doing happy dances. I know, I know, I do a lot of happy dances regarding books in general - particularly this book (*cough*and series*cough*). What can I say? I get very involved - on a personal level - with the books I read. The more I like 'em, the more involved I get. (Although, sometimes, the more I 'hate' it, the more involved...hmm...I digress). Okay, I'll stop the chatter and move on the the discussing now...

Waterfall by Lisa T Bergren

Discussion 4: Chapters 18-23

Today's Questions Hosted by Supernatural Snark

1. Gabi and Lia both face several life and death situations in these chapters, having to pick up weapons in defense of those they love and experiencing first hand the brutality of close combat. If you had the choice between picking up a weapon and standing on the front lines or staying behind to tend to the wounded as necessary, which would you choose?
Hmm...I'm trying to think this one through logically: I'm not skilled in a weapon, the way Gabi and Lia are, so there's a very good chance I'd end up making a bit of a 'mess' if I joined in the fight. At the same time, I don't always handle 'tending the wounded' very well, haha...My gut instinct says that if I found myself in that situation, I'd want to be doing something - so, give me something dangerous, and lemme at'em!

2. Both girls get to wear extraordinary gowns to their victory celebration; what would your dream medieval gown look like?

I love, and I mean love, historical gowns. I've been drooling over the dress descriptions in Waterfall so far, and now I get to talk about my own dream gown? Oh happiness...Here's what I'm envisioning:
Something akin to the dress to the right, but in a rich, dark, dusky purple, with a complimentary underskirt. Close-fitting bodice, with a flowing skirt. Sleeves that bell below the elbow to a wide, graceful drape. A neckline that shows off my collarbones and shoulders. Embroidery - mayhap in silver or gold thread - and maybe some beads, depending on fabric and exact cut.

3. Gabi has crude stitches put in and must endure both their removal as well as the cauterization of the wound. How is your threshold for pain? Do you think you would have simply gritted your teeth as Gabi does?
My threshold for pain is pretty good, most of the time. I've had stitches a couple times - including on my lower back, where everything hurts a lot more when they puncture your skin (dang bones/nerves being so close to the 'surface' haha), but I did also have not only local anesthesia but a highly skilled doctor stitching me. Hmm...I dunno, I'm kinda thinking I might would have passed out like Gabi eventually did. After I started screaming at people.

4. Marcello wants to properly court Gabi after they express mutual feelings of affection, wanting to speak with her mother about his intentions. What do you think is the most romantic aspect of medieval courtship?
I'm going to go with the 'Respect Factor' -- they didn't do the whole casual dating thing that's so prevalent today. Relationships were serious, even when they were 'practical' (*cough*business arrangements*cough*) rather than 'romantic'. There was a code of conduct, of expected behavior: certain things were deemed respectable, and others were not. But at the same time, there was also freedom for expression and things could go beyond those boundaries (case in point: Marcello kissing on Gabi). Even during these...slip ups...there's an underlying foundation of respect: respect for the Lady, for her family, for tradition. Love it! Call me old-fashioned, but I much prefer a guy who wants to let my family know his intentions (and himself!) and who respects me as a person and not just a physical indulgence.

5. Gabi and Lia find themselves with conflicting desires toward the end with Lia wanting to return home and Gabi hoping to stay. Do you think that Gabi is being unfair to Lia for wanting to stay, or is Lia being unfair to Gabi for demanding they go? A little of both?
I think it's a little of both. Lia's experience has not been quite the same as Gabi's, nor has she been as involved for as long. Gabi's been able to make meaningful connections, her heart's invested, and - whether she really knows this or not - she's becoming better acquainted with herself during her stay with the Forellis. So while Gabi has all kind of personal, emotional ties to the time - Lia's in a bit of a panic. (Entirely understandable, I might add). So yeah, I think it's a little of both - but neither is to blame, because of their individual experiences, their points-of-view are perfectly understandable. It's just a matter of both ending up on the same page.

There's only one more week of the read-along left! Come by next week for my last answers and my review of Waterfall! Until then, I need to check out everyone else's fantasy gowns...