it’s striking me on a reread of ntn how so many people in nona’s community know and like her. like the men at the dairy. they start to argue and then they look over at nona and catch themselves. that’s so sweet. there’s this ninteen-year-old girl who everyone assumes is incredibly traumatized (who in that city isnt?) but she’s also genuinely kind and unguarded and earnest so fuck if they’re going to argue in front of her. they’re not even named characters but they get embarrassed about it and then ask for her opinion and they chuck her under the chin and holy shit i’m gonna cry. new rho is full of tired and desperate and unhappy people but so many of them go out of their way to make nona comfortable. so many of them try to preserve her innocence. no wonder she loved beeing alive so so much. no wonder she loved life and new rho and humanity, even though she saw the worst of all three. so many people tried to show her the best too. it’s so fucking sweet.