Why it was difficult for her to forget past & move forward?

A Novel All the Forgivenesses is written by author Elizabeth Hardinger which consists of 368 pages.

It was a story of fifteen-year-old Albertina "Bertie" Winslow, she learn necessary everyday chores of work from her mom Polly, which included lancing boil, homemade pie crust and slaughtering pig. But she does not knew about babysitting, and had never look after her brothers and sisters. Albertina was from rural Kentucky, and lived in hardscrabble farm since childhood.

Suddenly, Polly fell sick, languishing from a long illness, so Berite had to look after her family that she never done before. Berite's father was of untrustworthy character, and her four brothers and sisters also not disciplined, often quarrel with each other. Even Bertie's Nine-year-old sister, Dacia, used to leaked out secrets of their mother, had obstinate by nature. So in the light of the unfavorable environment, Bertie dispatched very young ones to grown up brothers who once fled from home but kept sisters with herself.

Being sensible nature, Bertie tie the knot, shifted to oil fields situated on Kansas with her siblings and spouse. But couldn't forgot the agony she tolerated for long time, her ailing mother and bad tempered father, and somehow inside felt the committed wrongdoing by herself. It was difficult for her to forget her past and move forward to seek happiness.