1. Is the novel’s first-person voice believable? Is it believable once you learn that the author was a grandmother when she wrote the book and is neither a twin nor Native American? What are the advantages and limitations of this first-person narration?

2. What does the Passamaquoddy element add to the novel? What role does Blue’s heritage play in her development?

3. What purpose does the narrative frame, the snapshot captions, serve in the book?

4. How much responsibility do Blue’s parents have for Blue’s troubles? Do you have sympathy for them in their own struggles? Do you consider Blue’s personal obstacles “extraordinary”? How do they shape her? What other coming-of-age novels have characters that must face such extreme struggles, and how do these characters compare to Blue?

5. What do baskets and basketweaving symbolize in the novel for Blue, both literally and figuratively?

6. Do you consider the novel political?

7. How does Blue’s image of Berry work, both for Blue and for the novel itself? What is the purpose of the character of Berry? How successful is the character of Berry as a “foil” for Blue?

8. What role does the theme of “mothering” play in the book? When and where does it appear, and how does it develop over the course of Blue’s life?