1. Alethea suddenly finds herself and her aunt responsible for Margaret, a twelve-year-old girl. Have you ever had a responsibility suddenly thrust upon you? How did it make you feel? What did you do about it?
2. Bayard is dealing with a painful episode in his past, and it has turned into a bitter inner wound. Can you relate to his pain? What should his friends and family have done for him? What should he have done for himself?
3. Alethea, her sister, Lucy, and Bayard’s sister, Clare, are threatened by a dangerous man who wants Alethea’s violin for reasons they don’t know. Can you understand why she did what she did? What could she have done better?
4. Because of his bitterness, Bayard feels emotionally cut off from his family and friends. Can you relate to how he feels? If he were your friend, what would you say to him?
5. Mrs. Coon, the rector’s wife, is a strong Christian who is comfortable speaking about her faith. Can you relate to her, or do you know someone like her? What is your own way of sharing your faith?
6. Bayard keeps doing all he can to try to protect Clare, but he feels helpless and guilty for the trouble he brings to the people he loves. Have you been in a situation where things were completely out of your control, and it seemed to be going from bad to worse? How did you feel? What did you do?
7. Alethea is upset at God because she can’t understand why God would allow her family to betray her and hurt her so deeply. Have you been in a situation where you questioned why God allowed some evil to happen to you? How did you respond? How should we respond?
8. As things get worse, Bayard just tries harder to protect Alethea and Clare on his own and gain some sense of control over the situation. Have you ever felt this way? How did you respond? What would you have done differently from Bayard?
9. Bayard has been trying to protect Alethea and Clare on his own strength, but he has to learn how to completely trust God instead. What does he learn about himself and his Heavenly Father? How does that impact the choices he makes at the end?
10. When Alethea shares with Bayard about how her family betrayed her and how she was able to heal from the traumatic experience, he responds with a strong emotional reaction (and a sizzling kiss!). Why did her words mean so much to him? How did her words change his thoughts or attitudes?
11. The spiritual message of the book is: You are not alone, God loves you, and God will take care of you. The verses Alethea reads reiterate that: Romans 5:8, Romans 8:38–39, Jeremiah 31:3, Zephaniah 3:17. What does the spiritual message of the book and/or the verses mean to you?
12. What were the most appealing parts of the book for you?