A book that I don't know how I feel about

So, most people know that I have picked up an English minor (which I'm super excited about). Unfortunately, I read this book called "Bastard out of Carolina (South Carolina)" for one of my classes. Basically, the story revolves around a little girl who is illegitimate and living with her mom and younger sister. Her mother remarries and the guy is a real jerk to her. The family has all these problems (drunken Uncles, cancer ridden aunt, lesbian aunt, high strung/crazy grandma, only friend might be the spawn of Satan, and her daddy molests/beats/rapes her). These are just a few of the issues the family has. I just can not bring myself to make peace with the ending of this book. The mother chose her husband over her child because she "loved" him, even though she walked in on him raping and almost beating her child to death. It wasn't as though the mother didn't try to protect her child, but it was one of those relationships where "she loves him and he can change".

I guess I don't understand why a mother would choose to leave her child with one of her aunts and go off with the other child (whom the daddy likes) and the father to make a new life somewhere else. I didn't grow up in a family structure that was anything like that. My mother would go to hell and back to save us from anything or anyone who wanted to hurt us. She would NEVER EVER EVER let someone put their hands on us. My daddy would kill anyone who would ever hurt us. I am just very thankful to have grown up with a family as great as mine is. I can't help but feel horrible for anyone who would ever grow up in an atmosphere like that. Unfortunately, I can't help but realize that there are families like that out there and that really breaks my heart. I will make ABSOLUTELY sure that my children will never feel the way this little girl does in this book.

I know that was a long ramble about a book but I'm really upset with the ending. Read the book because it is worth reading, it's just hard to read without listening to hymns playing in the background to remind you that Jesus loves me.

Song of the Night: Young Love by Wynonna Judd

She was sitting crossed legged on a hood of a ford
Filing down her nails with a emory board
Talking to her friends about people they knew
And allof the things that young girls do
When she said you see that guy in the baseball cap
I'd like to spend some time with a boy like that
Betty said I seen him at the hardware store
I think his name is Billy, but i'm not sure
And as they talked a little while he passed by
She smiled at him he just said "hi"
He was thinking to him self as he walked away
Man I'd like to find a girl like her someday

(Chorus)

Young love, strong love, true love
It's a new love
Their gonna make it through the hard times
Walk those lines

Young love
We'll she just couldn't stop her self from thinking about him
And at a store downtown she saw him again
she had both hands full
He held open the door
Said my name is Billy
I've seen you before
Can I help you with these
Can I give you a ride
Can I take you out on a Saturday night
She didn't have to say what she was feeling inside
He could see the answer shining in her eyes

(Chorus)

We'll from that day on
You couldn't keep them apart
They were side by side, heart to heart
Momma cried as Billy slipped the ring on her hand
And when the baby was born she was crying again
Well he worked real hard and put some money down
On a little old house at the edge of town
And that night as he held her he couldn't believe
That god had made a girl that he'd never ever leave

(Chorus)

She was sitting crossed legged on the hood of a ford
Filing down her nails with an emory board