1. The loss of a loved one at any age is difficult, but especially when a child dies. Statistically, grief often causes the parents to split up. Has this happened to you or to anyone you know? Did the couple reunite or remain separated?
2. What do you think would have happened if Gideon and Ruth had stayed together? Or what might the outcome have been if they had returned home sooner? Did they possibly need their time apart in an effort for each of them to heal before they were able to console each other?
3. At the end of the story, I could almost see Grace smiling down on her parents. Did you have a sense of Grace’s presence throughout the novella? If so, what were some of the recollections and memories that led you to feel like you knew Grace?
4. Ruth and Gideon both returned home to face people and painful situations they had avoided. But, in the end, it is people and situations that ultimately help them to continue the healing process. What are some examples of this?