Use the questions below as a guide for your book club. We would love to to see your comments below.
1. Why do you think Patricia decided upon a career in social work?
2. What are the reasons Patricia's life has spiraled into feelings of hopelessness? How do those feelings change over the course of the book and what brings about those changes?
3. What are the differences in how Patricia and Mark deal with tragedy? Compare that to how Emily deals with the loss of her mother. Do you know someone who believes they have been helped by an angel? Do you believe their story? Did you believe Emily's experience?
4. How would you describe Patricia? How does she view herself? How does she view others? How does her view of herself contribute to her relationship with Emily?
5. How does Nathan Andrews play into Patricia's life? What other secondary characters provide enriching elements to the storyline? How do they contribute to the story?
6. What contributed to Patricia seeing beyond a child in the foster system that needed a home to actually stepping out and helping that child? She and Mark were deep into personal problems so why do you think she chose to help Emily now? How does Emily's presence in their home change both Patricia and Mark?
7. When Patricia was a child strangers pulled together and contributed to a large donation of money for her mother. How do you think that simple act changed the course of the life of Patricia's mother and Patricia herself? What do you think Patricia's childhood was like before her father left and after?
8. What would bring Patricia to the point of thinking of Emily as her own? Do you think those changes came easily for her? Describe some emotions Patricia may have felt as she began to pursue the idea of her and Mark becoming Emily's guardians.
9. Considering the loss of their son, what feelings do you think Mark and Patricia have as adoptive parents? Both Emily and Mia come into Mark and Patricia's home from the foster system. With that in mind, what sort of difficulties or blessings will the Addison's encounter as a result of the girls' backgrounds? Describe the kind of family you think the Addison's are at the end of the book?