1. What obstacles does Amanda face in replacing her father in the business world?
2. How could Abigail so easily adjust to her husband’s slave-owning household when England had outlawed slavery long ago?
3. How does the lifestyle of western North Carolinians differ from the coastal counties in the mid-nineteenth century?
4. The death of her father places additional responsibility on Amanda’s shoulders. Why does her mother suddenly become her burden?
5. Why does Jackson Henthorne take issue to the relationship between Amanda and her maid, Helene?
6. Although their attraction was immediate, why does Nathaniel conclude any romance with Amanda is hopeless after one dinner party?
7. Jackson sees the closing of other southern ports as an opportunity. Why does this also present great risk to him and his father’s company?
8. What appeals to Amanda far more than the home-style cuisine during dinner at the Simses’ house?
9. In what ways is the scheme proposed by Jackson’s business partner dangerous? And why would Jackson take part in such a gamble?
10. What is Nathaniel hiding about his past, and how does it affect his present relationship with Amanda?
11. Why does Jackson consider Amanda a threat to his household?
12. Why would Nate participate in the clandestine rally in the woods, and what left him conflicted to his role in the war?
13. In England, a large underclass works as domestics to the gentry. How is their lot similar and how is it different when compared with slavery in America?
14. Jackson and Nathaniel each join the army during the war’s eleventh hour. What caused a change of heart for each man?
15. Why would America make a better choice for the future home of Amanda and Nathaniel?