Reading Guide 1
1. How does the theme of wishing tie in to the book? What does it mean to make a wish?
2. Diamond informs Lou and Oz that in order for their wishes to come true they must give up "the most grandest, importantest thing they got in the whole dang world." When he wishes for their mother's recovery, Oz chooses to leave his bear at the foot of the well. Later, Lou leaves a photograph of herself and her mother by the bear. What do these gifts signify for both children?
3. Lou's father is famous for his novels about the Virginia landscape and culture. What does it mean to tell stories about a location? Is it possible to capture the essence of a place in a novel?
4. Cotton asks Lou, "What do you think about . . . never coming back to your roots so you can be a great writer?" She replies almost immediately: "I think it's too big a price to pay for greatness." Why do you think Lou's father never returned to the mountains? Compare his decision to Lou's statement.
5. "Every lick of coal and gas could disappear from this earth tomorrow, and electricity and phones too, and she'd be just fine," Cotton explains to the men trying to buy Louisa Mae's land. The economy of mountain life is divided between mining and farming. Discuss the exhaustibility of nonrenewable natural resources versus the sustainability of farming. Do we depend on natural resources too much today?
6. Lou and Oz move from bustling New York City to a rural farmhouse without any luxuries. Discuss how their new lifestyle influences their growth.
7. When Lou and Oz drop their mother's letters in the well, they wish for Louisa Mae to return to the courtroom. When Cotton calls for "Miss Louisa Mae Cardinal," Lou, her great-granddaughter and namesake, appears before the court. Do you think their wish came true? Why or why not?
8. Discuss the difference between stories that are written and those shared orally. How do both types of stories shape the characters in the novel?
9. Despite George Davis's cruelty, Louisa assists his wife in a life-threatening birth. She has likewise assisted many other women in the neighborhood. Later, many of the same people she delivered help rebuild her barn. Discuss the sense of community in the mountain town. How does it differ from your own surroundings?
10. "From out of the mouth of babes . . . We should all be so wise," Cotton says of Lou and Oz. Both children are forced to deal with incredible grief at a young age. Is their wisdom linked to their grief? How do they deal with loss?
11. David Baldacci's inspiration for this novel was his family history. What stories have been passed down through generations in your own family? How did your relatives' struggles differ from those of the pres-ent generation? How do stories extend through history and influence the present?
