1. Andrew admitted in the prologue that ingratitude was his defining characteristic. What do you think he meant by this? Is being grateful really important to a happy and successful life? How did Andrew’s lack of gratitude contribute to the story?
2. Childhood sweethearts Andrew and Beth have drifted apart. What do think caused this? In general, what causes married couples to grow apart? What qualities in a marriage partner help keep a marriage going strong?
3. Andrew’s obsession with material success causes him to lose sight of what’s really important. Why doesn’t he value Beth’s career choice? How did Andrew’s and Beth’s views of success differ? Is there a higher, more spiritual meaning of success than the commonly held materialistic view?
4. How do you think Andrew’s lack of a strong father figure affected his own desire to be a father? How did his anger towards his father influence and affect his life and marriage?
5. When Andrew’s mother passed away, he deeply resented his father for not being there: so much so he tried to convince Beth to share in his hate for his dad. How does Beth react to this? What does her refusal to participate in his hatred say about her character? What other moments in the novel give insight into Beth’s character?
6. Despite his love for his wife, Andrew takes Beth for granted. Have you ever taken someone you love for granted? Do you feel that, perhaps, you’ve been taken for granted?
7. Andrew is doubly devastated by Beth’s death because she died thinking he’d been unfaithful to her. Have you ever experienced regret over how you treated someone? Why is reconciliation important? How is reconciliation a part of this story?
8. How might the story have gone differently if Andrew had actually cheated with Kimberly? How would you have felt about his character if he had done this? Would he still have been able to redeem himself in your eyes?
9. When Andrew initially encounters Lionel, he doesn’t at first recognize him as a heavenly visitant. Why do we sometimes fail to distinguish God’s voice? What state of thought sometimes blocks our receptivity to God’s word? What do you think Lionel’s key symbolizes?
10. If you had three days to live how would you spend them? If you were Andrew and knew Beth was about to die, would you tell her? How do think things might have gone differently if he had told her?
11. Do you agree with Beth’s decision to keep her friendship with Andrew’s estranged father a secret? How did this revelation in River Falls contribute to the conflict of the story? Why was it important that Andrew miss the train from River Falls to New York?
12. How does Andrew’s concept of the “gift” evolve throughout the story? What’s the difference between the first gift he gave Beth and the ultimate gift?
13. Andrew encounters a variety of “angels” during the three days. What do you think their purpose was in Andrew’s experience? What forms might angels appear in our own lives?
14. When Andrew’s desperately searching for Beth around their Manhattan neighborhood, he pauses to pray, asks God to help him find his way. He expected his answer to come as “a voice from heaven, a bolt of lightning, any kind of sign.” Instead, a bus rolled by with a Rockefeller Center advertisement that sparked his memory. Have you ever tried to outline how God should speak to you? Have you ever had a prayer answered in an unexpected way?
15. Why do people sometimes have to hit rock bottom before they are ready to make a change? What does Andrew’s final sacrifice say about how his heart changed from the beginning of the book to the end? Is there anyone you would give your life for?
16. By the end of the book, Andrew learns an important lesson about gratitude? What do you think he learned? Why is it important to be grateful for the good in our lives?