Discussion Questions

1. Which characters were your favorites? Did you identify with their struggles? Why or why not?

2. Though Amelia and Laurie joke about listing men based on their looks, Laurie’s top priority in romance is finding a man she can trust. What traits top (or topped) your list?

3. Ray Burke is a man broken by grief, war, and addiction. Did you feel sympathy or anger toward him? Did that change throughout the story? What must he do to break the hold alcoholism has on his life?

4. Laurie tells Daniel she loved him from practically the moment they met. Have you ever experienced love at first sight? Do you believe it exists? Why or why not?

5. Daniel hides his past from Laurie, afraid she won’t love him if she knows the truth. Have you ever hidden parts of yourself from someone you cared about? Is there one person who knows all of your deep secrets and what led you to trust that person?

6. Laurie says Amelia is the one constant in her life, and yet Laurie still kept secrets from her. Do you have a friend who has been present for all your highs and lows and loved you anyway? It might be the same person from question five, or it might not. If it’s not the same, what makes these two individuals different?

7. Laurie makes several mistaken assumptions about people in the story. Explain a time when you made a snap judgment about someone only to discover you were wrong.

8. Daniel’s proposal to Laurie is interrupted when they are forced to flee from the Coast Guard. If you are married, was your proposal a magical moment, or were there some bumps in the road? If you’re single, how do you imagine that moment?

9. Daniel keeps a coin in his pocket as a reminder of both his temperance vows and of how easily he can fail without God’s help. Do you have any visible reminders of God’s work in your life?

10. “In his mind [Daniel] saw the ferric acid solution cascading down the side of the show globe, piercing the layers of beautiful color, and poisoning everything in its path.” Think about the imagery in this scene. What does it represent? Has there been a time when you’ve made a bad choice and it rippled through your life with unexpected consequences?

11. In the end, Laurie chooses to place her trust in God instead of any man. She also chooses to love Daniel. Do you think Laurie made the right choice in the end? Why or why not?

12. Can you separate love and trust? Should you? What are some cases when this would be the wrong decision?

13. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lead not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Think back to each of the characters. How might their stories have been different if they had trusted God to direct their steps? How would your life story change if you remembered to put your trust in God alone?

14. Does trusting in God mean your path will be easy? What’s the difference between a straight path and an easy one?