Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Before the story begins, why does Lennie all but quit playing the clarinet?
- Throughout the story, many characters (including Lennie herself) speculate about why her relationship with her newly dead sister's fiancé turns… well… physical, but no one reaches a definite answer. Why do you think Lennie turns to Toby for physical comfort? And, supposing there is an afterlife, do you think Bailey understands?
- How do you think Lennie's summer might have gone if her sister hadn't died? Do you think she still would have fallen in love with Joe?
- How does the novel change if you take out Lennie's poetry? Do you think the poetry-prose format is essential to the story? Why or why not?
- Do you think it's true that everyone is the author of their own story? What does Lennie's family gain (or lose) from explaining Paige's abandonment as chronic wanderlust instead of something darker?