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Raymond “Ray” Harding
Amelia Oliver is Jade’s stepmother and Lucas Oliver’s first wife. She was killed before the events of the novel, and her unsolved murder remains a mystery in Bardell. The end of the novel reveals that her killer was Mama Letty, who shot Amelia as revenge against the Olivers for killing Ray. Though Amelia did not actively participate in the Olivers’ racist violence, she turned a blind eye to it in exchange for the privilege it granted her.
Amelia Oliver Quotes in We Deserve Monuments
The We Deserve Monuments quotes below are all either spoken by Amelia Oliver or refer to Amelia Oliver. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Belle Quotes
Since 1828, Ivy Rose Plantation had captivated visitors with its oak tree-lined drive and double balconies that wrapped around the entire house like a bow. The land had been passed down from one generation of Olivers to the next, wealth accumulating at the expense of Black labor with every turnover. The slave quarters weren’t demolished until 1982, when Elizabeth Oliver deemed them unsightly. She told her husband, Wallace, that she didn’t want distressing memories of that ugly history while she was out tending her rosebushes.
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Chapter 5 Quotes
With Mama Letty…there was so much I still didn’t know about her. And she didn’t exactly seem eager to talk about it, and pushing her to do so would go against my plan. But now, with the weight of this conversation and the memory of Amelia’s halo glittering in the light, my plan felt hollow. Childish, even. Mama Letty was my last living grandparent, and all I’d been focused on was how quickly I could get out of town because feeling nothing was easier than dealing with hurt. I didn’t know what to do now. My plan was a jumbled mess.
When Simone turned around, I realized I’d actually asked the question aloud.
“Enjoy the time you have. Soak it up. Marvel in it.”
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Amelia Oliver Character Timeline in We Deserve Monuments
The timeline below shows where the character Amelia Oliver appears in We Deserve Monuments. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4
...the wall of the hotel is a mural that Jade painted of her late mother Amelia, who was murdered outside the hotel. Jade is hoping the historical society will erect a...
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...to tourists’ desire for an “idyllic Southern fantasy” that erases the history of Jim Crow. Amelia was the person who suggested adding a spa to the hotel, which led to business...
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The Belle
...an unsightly reminder of an “ugly history.” When Lucas Oliver was dating his future wife Amelia, he brought her to Ivy Rose. She was initially uncomfortable, but she gradually softened to...
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Chapter 5
...of Bardell without getting attached to anything or anyone is unraveling. As the girls discuss Amelia’s death and Mama Letty’s illness, Simone mentions that her brother Shawn died in a car...
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The Mermaids
In a flashback, Amelia Olivers dies the night of the Draper’s Christmas party. At the party, she sees Lucas...
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Chapter 26
...wants to know the answer to the question in her mind: did Mama Letty kill Amelia Oliver?
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...apologizes to Avery. She has given up her project to get a monument built to Amelia, since Amelia will always be remembered. Instead, Jade has written up a proposal for a...
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The Monuments
After Letty kills Amelia, she goes home and tells Ray’s spirit that she killed someone whose death would hurt...
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