Chapter Three

Welcome to the third installment of my first novel, Larita & Lyle!

My hope is that you’re here because you’ve read the first chapter and are looking for the next piece.

The third chapter of my novel shares Larita’s perspective of life at a home for girls after she was forced to separate from Lyle.

This chapter provides an insight into what Larita’s life looks like without Lyle, and how she is maturing and growing as a young girl among her peers, rather than among her companion.

Themes present in this chapter are friends versus enemies, power dynamics, longing versus mourning, and skewed views about life.

My intention with this chapter is to provide readers with a more whole sense of how Larita navigates the world and how she perceives her own identity.

Elements of this chapter such as the layout of the home were drawn out in order to create a clear image of where certain rooms are. I researched what type of breakfast was common in the 1930s and 1940s, in addition to what beds are like and how people speak to each other.

Readers may note a usage of the word “crumbs,” which was a common insult of the time period.

Use this link to access the third chapter of Larita & Lyle.