In Gathering Blue, how does Kira change from the beginning of the novel to the end?

You might want to consider the following issues. Firstly,
consider the way that Kira is presented at the beginning of the novel. Thanks to the
death of her mother, and, she believes, the death of her father long ago, she is an
orphan, left alone. In addition, her twisted leg means that she is unable to physically
cope with the demanding way of life of her people. She would find it difficult to
survive by herself, and her disability means that nobody else would want her. Vandara of
course is the woman who challenges Kira's identity, and wants to kill her because she is
"worthless" and has nothing to offer her society.

Let us
compare this image of Kira with how she is presented at the end of the novel. She has
been given a very important position in her society as the "Robe-threader, the designer
of the future." She is given an opportunity to pursue her talent and this talent is also
nurtured, albeit in a way that matches the Council's desires. Kira thus becomes a
valuable and important person for her community, in contrast to her "worthless" state as
expressed by Vandara at the beginning of the novel. In addition, she is given a new
circle of friends that, she recognises, need her and whom she needs. Thomas and Jo, in
addition to the friendship that she already had with Matt, form the centre of her world.
Lastly, she discovers that her father is actually alive and that she is not an orphan.
These facts lead us to conclude that Kira is a very different character from how she is
first presented in this excellent novel.