Coming of Age

Brooke’s story is very much a coming of age story as she becomes the protector and ambassador for her siblings while she is still a child herself. Brooke eventually becomes the savior for her brothers and sisters when she admits that her father has been sexually abusing her and seeks justice. Brooke’s coming of age additionally includes her realization that her mother and siblings do not want to live differently and that she must separate herself from them in order to heal.

The author uses Brooke’s thought patterns and her increase in the knowledge of what is happening to her to demonstrate the way in which Brooke comes to the realization that she is being abused. As a six-year-old, Brooke thinks that her father is a hero, especially after he saves Adam’s life. A couple of years later, Brooke describes...