Reader’s Guide

  1. Jennie says, “Some things are worth doing regardless of how they turn out.” Do you share that view? Did Jennie’s life portray that philosophy?
  2. What were the supports Jennie found that enabled her to pursue her dream? What were the barriers? Did she achieve her dream? Why or why not? How have friends or colleagues assisted you on your journey?
  3. Was Jennie responsible for her son’s addiction? Were there steps Jennie could have taken that she didn’t to stave off the disaster of Douglas’s and his father’s lives?
  4. Jennie says that spending time blaming others for tragedy takes one from their purpose. Do you agree with that? Why or why not?
  5. Ariyah tells Jennie that guilt “is a fiend” and urges her to make a personal change to ward it off. Has there been a time when guilt held you back? How did you find a path through it to a new hope?
  6. How did Josiah support his wives on their journeys? How did Elizabeth and Jennie support him? Was Jennie justified in the arrangements she made in her will for guardianship?
  7. Jennie returned often to the image of the fox. What meaning did she ascribe to that encounter? Do you share her Einsicht, her insight?
  8. “Pleasure disappoints, possibility never,” writes Kierkegaard. Did Jennie discover this? Do you agree?
  9. Jennie notes that carriages are safest in the barn, but they are built for the unknown roads. Think of a time when you took a risk. Was the result what you had imagined? Did the possibility give you hope?
  10. The author wanted to show that our inability to bring healing and peace to the lives of those we love does not mean we should deny the joys of pursuing our own calling to make a difference in the world. Did she succeed?