QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  1. Suspected sympathizers were hauled away within hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, some kept for the duration of the war. They were not only citizens of Japanese origin, but Germans and Italians, too. Do you believe this was justified because the country was at war, or do you feel that it was a violation of human rights?
  2. Lana puts herself in danger of arrest by sheltering her German and Japanese neighbors and friends and lying about their identities. What would you have done in her position?
  3. Lana experiences guilt and regret over not reconciling with her father while he was still alive. Do you feel that her reasons for staying away were justifiable? Do you think she should have forgiven him sooner?
  4. Over time, Lana and her housemates grow to be as close as family. Do you have any “chosen family”? Have you experienced bonding during times of great stress? Do you think that she and the girls, and Mochi and Benji, would continue to see each other after the war?
  5. Fred and Ingrid Wagner were separated from their two daughters without warning and with no idea of how long it would be for. How do you think you would cope with such a situation?
  6. Animals play a big role in the book as both companions and healers. Have you ever thought about what you would do with your animals if you experienced war or natural disaster firsthand?
  7. Both Lana and Coco possess intuitive powers that seem to grow stronger at Kīlauea Volcano, a place long considered sacred. Do you believe in the untapped power of the human mind? What about the heightened energy of certain places?
  8. War is known to bring out the worst in people, but hardship can also bring out the best, and stories of courage and hope and survival abound. How did the characters in the book react to the pressures of war on their doorstep?
  9. Before Pearl Harbor, there were many signs of a Japanese attack looming. If you’d been in Hawaii then, do you think you would have taken precautions and built an escape house or bomb shelter or anything else, or would you have remained optimistic that there would be no attack?
  10. Lana does everything in her power to make Christmas special for the kids, despite her own struggles and grief. Do you think it is important to keep up traditions even in such dark times?
  11. Grant is unknowingly caught between working at the detainment camp and getting to know the two Wagner girls. When he finds out the truth about their parents, how do you feel he handled it? Did you want him to try to help them more? Realistically, could he have?
  12. To what degree do you think the hideaway house played a role in Lana’s journey of self-discovery?