Discussion questions from the author

1. A tartan flannel shirt with a monogrammed Scottish thistle appeared in pivotal scenes throughout the story, so you might have guessed that it had significance. What do you think it symbolized? How did it affect the story?

2. Even though Meggan was sometimes annoyed by her husband, Brent, why do you think she put up with someone so different from her for so many years? 

3. When Meggan found herself in tough situations, how did she habitually behave when her back was finally to the wall? What influenced the development of that response?

4. How would the story have to end ended differently if Bien had a different fate?

5. Which of Meggan’s traits are like her mother’s, and might have been learned? Which traits are like her father’s, and likely inherited? Is she more similar to one of her parents than the other? If so, in what ways.

6. Would you consider Meggan’s father a hero, a traitor, or a victim—or a combination? Which of his actions support your opinion?

7. Meggan grew up with a mother who taught her to be self-empowered. What pivotal event, or series of events, shattered her sense of empowerment? What pivotal event, or series of events, helped her restore her sense of empowerment?