Introduction:
“It’s just a move,” her father said. Her mother shrugged. Sarah cried. Fourteen and her dream country club life shattered. It’s not just a move, it’s a move to a farm with fields and animals and miles of dusty roads between farmhouses. She isn’t even part of a town. Neither is her mother. These two lives move in parallel as each negotiates change within the confines of the 1950s Midwest mores. A perfect family: executive father, trophy wife, two daughters until this move rips the scabs off the marriage and fractures the family structure.
Questions and Topics for Discussion:
- In what ways does the story’s title refer to the action taking place with the characters?
- The setting in this novel is 1950s Michigan. Relate the setting’s importance to the events unfolding in the story.
- How would you describe this family, individually and as a unit?
- Why does Sarah proclaim that her father has ruined her life? Has he?
- Describe Sarah’s character arc. Who is she at the beginning of the book? Who is she at the end?
- What symbols operate in this story?
- Describe the roles of the secondary characters Grandpa and Marla.
- What does the future hold for Sarah? For Rose?
- In what ways does this story define friendship?
- What would you define as the underlying themes in this book?
