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Reading Guide

1. Why do you think this book was named The Last April?
2. Do the location and environment of the book color the telling of the story or are they merely a backdrop?
3. How do the character perspectives color the story of life in Ohio after the president’s assassination?
4. What are some of the parallels between Lincoln’s assassination, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11 in American history?
5. Do you believe Gretchen’s motivations in bringing Karl/Elias into her home?
6. Would you open your home to someone you consider an enemy?
7. Did reading this book help you to understand a person better, or even yourself?