- What is the purpose of hope in this story? How do people like the social workers maintain hope when all seems lost, when no
day seems better than the one before?
- Consider how various characters see the world—both in their differences and in their similarities. Do you relate to one character
more than the other? If so, how and why?
- What does this story tell you about the power of love? About the power of sacrifice?
- Of the many losses portrayed, what do you consider the greatest loss in this story?
- Which character do you admire the most?
- How much did you know about this period of history before you read this novel? What did you learn, and what did the story
teach you about the nature of wars in particular?
- Do you think there are instances of everyday heroism that have been lost to time and circumstances? How does that affect how
you view history and your own story?
- How does the truth of this story change the way you read and experience it?