Spoiler alert! Please don’t read before completing the book, as the questions contain spoilers!

  1. Abe is doing maintenance on the roof of his two-story farmhouse when he suddenly slips and falls off in front of a horrified Lavinia. Has your life ever been disrupted by such a horrific accident? What happened? How did it affect your life? Your relationship with other people? Your faith?
  2. Abe is worried about keeping the family farm running in a time when dairy farming is experiencing some problems. Have you ever had a financial struggle that made you wonder about your future? What did you do?
  3. Lavinia makes handmade rugs from scraps of fabric. Sometimes she doesn’t think it’s particularly creative. Do you do something creative for your work or for a leisure-time hobby? What do you do? Why do you enjoy doing it?
  4. Lavinia works with her mother at a shop that features Amish arts and crafts in town. Have you ever worked with a family member? How did that go?
  5. Some people are interested in the Amish lifestyle because it looks simpler and more faith-based than Englisch life. It’s also more rural and based on farms—definitely not urban. Have you ever thought about living in an Amish community? What do you think would be the hardest part of adapting to life in one?
  6. Abe experiences the loss of a farm animal that he has come to feel an affection for. Have you ever experienced this or lost a pet that meant a lot to you? How did you deal with your grief?
  7. The Amish community is a close-knit one, with people who help each other out. Are you a member of some type of group at work or at church that provides support when needed?
  8. When it seems like Abe is taking forever to propose to her, Lavinia decides she’s tired of waiting and proposes. Have you ever done something similar?
  9. The Amish know their marriage partners for a long time—often they grew up together. If you’re married, how long did you know your spouse before you got married?
  10. Amish parents move into a dawdi haus—a sort of mother-in-law apartment. Would you want your parents or in-laws to live with you in such an arrangement? Why or why not?
  11. The Amish believe God sets aside a partner for us. Do you believe this?
  12. Have you ever visited an Amish community? Which one?