BOOK CLUBS

1. How do you think Cyd managed to forgive Loren for his earlier infidelity? Do you think he was deserving of forgiveness? Do you think she was right to forgive him?

2. What do you think about the power of forgiveness in general? Are women too quick to forgive?

3. When we have to make hard choices in life, as we all do, is it possible to forget about the path not taken? Should we try to forget about those unlived lives completely, or is there some value to imagining what might have been? Is there a choice you made that you can’t stop thinking about? Do you find the memories become more haunting with age?

4. Cyd has found a breathing and meditation method that helps calm her when she gets upset, as she did at the rim of the canyon. Do you have a helpful practice to calm yourself in times of personal crisis?

5. Do you think Cyd is wrong to jump into a new relationship so soon after her breakup with Loren? Have you ever regretted acting impetuously in love? Do you feel that Cyd and Bobby will stay together? If they do, do you think it is the best path for Cyd at this point in her life?

6. What do you think about the decisions made about Baker by Mae, Jesse, and Iris? Do you think family secrets can play an important role in a healthy family?

7. Why do you think Jesse went along with Iris’ idea to keep the baby permanently rather than temporarily? Do you think Iris’ Catholic beliefs were the reason she was so judgmental about Mae, or do you think she wanted a baby so badly she needed a way to justify her behavior?

8. Mae was obviously in a mental health crisis during her pregnancy. Did Mae deserve to keep her baby after what she tried to do? Did she deserve forgiveness? Did she deserve more time to decide?

9. Do you think Mae ever regretted her decision to give up her baby? How do you deal with big decisions you later regret?

10. Do you think Baker knew or suspected the truth about his parentage? Have you ever learned about a family secret and kept it to yourself?

11. Do you think Clint began to fall in love with Cyd? Can you maintain a friendship if one person is secretly in love with the other person?

12. Do you think Cyd’s enlightenment in the canyon will stay with her? What do you think she’ll need to do to keep the experience fresh in her mind?

13. Have you ever had such a life-changing experience? If you did, were drugs involved? Were you able to hang onto the feeling and the knowledge you gained during the experience? For how long?

14. Is it important for Americans to visit, support, and preserve our national parks? How does being in nature help you physically, emotionally, and spiritually?