1. Ruth Anne and Levi are young, 19 years old. Do you think that they have the emotional maturity to handle the needs of a child with Down’s syndrome? Would an older couple have been better prepared for this undertaking?
2. Ruth Anne and her best friend, Bethany, chose different ways of birthing their children, as well as medical options prior to delivery. With all of the testing that is available to us these days, most mothers-to-be choose to have an ultrasound. What would you do if you were told that you were carrying a child with Down’s syndrome?
3. As women, most of us are caregivers. But there is a place in the story where Ruth Anne thinks Who is going to take care of me? Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt overwhelmed and needed mothering? How did you get through it?
4. Levi struggles with his roles as a father and husband. He wants to be good at both, but he is thrown completely off-guard by how much he loves Joshua. Instead of embracing these feelings, he tries to reject them, fueled by the fear that he might lose his child at a young age, and afraid his heart couldn’t take loss. Bringing us to the age-old question: Is it better to have loved and lost, or to have never loved at all?
5. Following Bethany’s confession about her abortion, Ruth Anne has a hard time with this news and chooses to walk away from Bethany. Do you think that Ruth Anne will eventually want to resume the friendship? Did you feel that Ruth Anne was judging Bethany? What if a close friend chose to terminate a pregnancy based on information from medical testing? Would you support their decision?
6. This story largely focuses on Levi; his joy, fears, worries, and struggles as a new father of a special-needs child. While having these feelings, he works hard to maintain a manly outward appearance. He wants to be a good provider and strong head of the household. Do you think that the majority of men put unnecessary pressures on themselves because they are expected to behave in a certain way?
7. Levi reaches out to Bishop Lantz, and the bishop seems to see beyond Levi’s words and into his heart. What do you think was the best advice that Bishop Lantz gave to Levi? What advice would you give to Levi?