Questions for Discussion

1. Lizzy’s childhood was incredibly difficult. Besides extreme poverty, she also had the great misfortune of an abusive father who only brought fear and control instead of comfort or security. How do you believe this upbringing impacted Lizzy in adulthood, given Lizzy's position in the family as the eldest child?

2. When an adult truly sees a child and encourages them, it can have an extraordinary impact on the rest of their life. Mr. Johnny’s kindness in giving Lizzy magazines not only provides her with an escape but also directly leads her to start journaling, and Mrs. Jensen’s belief and support directly lead to her becoming a nurse. When you think back to your childhood, how did the adults in your life impact your interests or beliefs about yourself? 

3. Leaving home plays a significant role in the self-discovery of both women. For Lizzy, it’s leaving the small Virginia farm she grew up on and then leaving the U.S. to join the war effort in France. In Gwen’s case, it’s leaving her marital home after her divorce to reconnect with her great aunt's legacy. Thinking on your own life so far, how has venturing away from the familiar led to growth? 

4. Cardinals are often believed to have a spiritual meaning, symbolizing loved ones who have passed. How does this meaning influence how you interpret their presence throughout the story? Who could these birds symbolize for both Gwen and Lizzy? 

5. Lizzy’s sister, Addie, mistakenly says “journeying” instead of “journaling,” but Lizzy considers the term apt, and it sticks. Why do you think journeying felt like an appropriate way to refer to all her writings in her journal?

6. “Such a shame, to be forgotten.” These are the sentiments the librarian expresses when Gwen requests to view her great aunt’s collections in Richmond. Gwen feels that to be forgotten is “even worse than death.” What are your thoughts on legacy? Do you have worries or any strong thoughts on being remembered after death? How have these beliefs impacted how you live your life?

7. Lizzy abandons the relationship that has grown with Lieutenant Flynn when she learns he’s the man her best friend is in love with. Would you have made the same decision? What weight do you give romantic love compared to the platonic love of friends in your life?

8. How did you feel when you learned about Lizzy’s tragic experience with motherhood? In hindsight, how does it affect how you think of her only meeting with Gwen as a child at the beginning of the novel? 

9. Gwen makes the brave decision to start a new life in a completely new place after her divorce. Could you see yourself taking a leap like this and starting over? Why or why not?

10. One of the themes the book explores is fated connections. The love Lizzy is unable to claim in her lifetime presents itself in another generation through Gwen’s new relationship with Jack. What are your thoughts about fate and soulmates? Have you ever felt that someone was fated to come into your life? 

11. Her great aunt’s old row house in Richmond is a big reason the city feels like home to Gwen. For you, what makes a house a home? 

12. Between Gwen and Lizzie, which of the storylines did you most connect with? Explain why.