What is the main conflict in Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm?

This novel is a coming of age novel. May Amelia is a twelve-year-old child when the novel begins. May Amelia lives in a place where living day-to-day is a difficult existence. May Amelia has adapted well to her environment and knows what to do when danger presents itself. Despite her knowledge and the adult tasks May Amelia is often asked to do despite her age, she is still a child in the beginning of the novel who often has temper tantrums, such as running away to Baby Island at the beginning of the novel.

As the novel progresses, May Amelia does many things to get into trouble with her father and to attempt to prove her independence. One of these things is to have her brother cut her hair short so that she might be able to get a job like the boys. With the birth of her baby sister, however, May Amelia begins to experience some events that catapult her into an adult world whether or not she is ready. May Amelia cares for the baby as though Amy were her own, bathing her, feeding her, and rocking her at night. May Amelia sees her sister as an extension of herself, a new female to share things with and to watch grow up.

When Amy Alice, the baby, dies, May Amelia is devastated. This grief is compounded when Grandmother Patience accuses her of being responsible for the infant's death. May Amelia has suddenly found herself a mother and now a grieving parent. May Amelia reacts to this by running away, something that may seem childish in the beginning, but is actually a healthy, adult-like thing to do. May Amelia takes herself out of the home in order to give herself time to heal. In the end, May Amelia comes back to her family with a clearer understanding of what has happened and the adult wisdom to see when someone else is grieving deeper even than she.