1. Charlotte is afraid to commit to Daniel and God for fear of failure. What character speaks to Charlotte in a way that helps her to see that failure is part of our journey?
2. Daniel and his family don’t want to take Eve off of the machines keeping her alive. What are some of the happenings that sway their decision? Have you or a loved one been in a position when you had to make such a monumental decision?
3. Charlotte isn’t Amish at the beginning of the story, but in many ways she is living the life of the Plain People. What are some examples of this, and what do you think is the hardest thing for her to finally let go of when she makes a commitment to the Amish church?
4. What do you think that Aunt Faye said to Daniel’s father, Lucas, in the hospital? Faye convinced him to leave Eve’s side for a few days, but we never hear that conversation. Aunt Faye continued to have a big influence on Lucas’s decisions. Why do you think that is?
5. Charlotte and Andrea both had bad starts in their lives, evidence that a person doesn’t have to stay on a path unfit for him or her. But where do you think Andrea was headed if she hadn’t found Charlotte? What were Andrea’s initial reasons for seeking out her sister? How did Andrea change as her relationship with Charlotte grew?
6. Ethan’s little house provided shelter for Ethan while he was alive, but also for Janell, Charlotte, and Andrea. Each person ended up there for different reasons. With the exception of Ethan, who was deceased already, who do you think benefitted the most from that setting?
7. Lucas won’t leave Eve’s side in the hospital until Aunt Faye convinced him to do so. He also wouldn’t interact with his newborn daughter. What are some of the emotions Lucas must have been feeling as he watched his wife being kept alive on life support? See if you can dig deep, beyond the obvious.
8. According to recent estimates, only 5 percent of Amish teens or young adults leave the community for good. Jacob left to pursue a life in the outside world, but longed to come home. What do you think was the big influencer as related to his choice to return? Was it Annie? The fact that he didn’t find success, only trouble, in the outside world? Did he long for the Amish lifestyle? Perhaps all of these, but would he have had the courage to come home if his mother’s cancer hadn’t returned?
9. Edna isn’t a very likeable character. She kisses Daniel while married to John. She also had a relationship with Ethan when he was alive. But later in the story, we see Edna’s vulnerabilities, and toward the end of the novel, we see an unlikely friendship forming between Edna and Andrea. Why do you think this is?
10. Charlotte’s truck—Big Red—is practically a character in the story, and the old Chevy holds sentimental value to Charlotte since it was a gift from Amos. How did you feel when Charlotte gave Andrea the truck? Do tangible items like houses and vehicles hold a special place in your heart, or are they just things to be bought and sold as needed?
11. If Charlotte had ultimately chosen not to convert to the Amish way of life, do you think Daniel would have left his church district to be with her? Since he had been baptized, he would have been shunned. Would Daniel have resented Charlotte and the forced detachment from his family?
12. What were your thoughts about the cake and icing analogy? Have you ever felt a sense of heaven on earth brought on by events or powerful faith in an afterlife? And if so, what was the defining moment when you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is heaven to look forward to?