I was just thinking out loud. And Catherine Marshall has said that the books weaves real life with fiction; so we can't take everything the books says as the "real" truth. Very good points, Debbie. I am currently reading the book for the first time, but am only about a 1/4th of the way through. I do know, that after doing research on the story of Christy/Leonora, the show took some liberties, which, as I said, it sounds like Catherine Marshall did, too. Still, the liberties taken make the book and the show, more interesting.
Neeney