1. Do you, like Abby, remember a time when you thought life was idyllic? What changed that perception?
2. What made Renee such a strong character and more able to move forward than the rest of the family? Who was the slowest about moving forward and why?
3. In what ways do Matt, John, Abby and Renee change over the course of the novel?
4. What was the impetus for Matt’s behavior?
5. Why do you think Uncle Troy’s tragic story was so poorly received by John? Why was Miss Patty’s story received differently?
6. What was the significance of hide and seek?
7. Each family member dealt with loss and guilt differently. Whose story do you relate to? Whose do you not?
8. Why do think John retreated into fixing clocks?
9. Why did Miss Patty not want her clock fixed?
10. Why was the crisis of faith so crucial to this family? Have you ever had such a crisis?
11. What symbolism do you see in the book and how does it affect the story?
12. Abby’s teacher tells her “You can’t change anybody else. But you can write your own story differently.” How does Abby do this?
13. “They want to help you forget,” Miss Mary Frances answered at last. “But you can’t,” she said with a sigh. “You never will forget. And the memory of him—even with all the pain—will always be sweeter than if you could.” How are Miss Mary Frances’ words true?
14. “God didn’t kill Joel,” I said.
“But He didn’t stop him from being killed.”
Why does this question always surface after an accident?
15. As in Abby’s Christmas Eve service, how are hopes and fears so often intertwined?
16. Why did Dad provoke Matt on his driving lesson in the corn fields?
17. Why did following Dad to the cemetery cause Abby to react with such hatred?
18. How does looking back at the movies help them all look forward?
19. How does Joel getting in the last word with the Dictophone provide healing?
20. On the Fourth of July, Matt and Abby come to a conclusion about their guilt and grief. “I guess talking about it does feel better than holding it in my head.” In what ways do we offer a support system to those needing to deal with a variety of emotions?
21. If the final sermon had gone another direction, what would have happened to the family?
22. How is the setting of 1970 Bethel Springs, Ohio, integral to the plot and theme of the novel?
23. In the movie version, who would you cast in each role?
24. What question would you ask the author?
25. “What I couldn’t know then, but try to remember now, is how fragile and delicate are the moments we most treasure, and if they break into pieces, repairing means seeing anew.” Have you experienced a difficult season and come out of it seeing anew?