1. The novel both begins and ends with Annie sitting alone, waiting for the arrival of a man (her father in the first chapter and Dexter in the final one). How has Annie changed? How are the men in her life different?

2. Annie has a romantic view of war in the first chapter. Has her perspective changed at the end of the story (see both chapters nine and five)? How?

3. The author switches between first and third point-of-view and between present and past tense. Chapter five is even more fragmented and extends beyond the timeframe of the rest of the novel. Why does the author use this structure? What does it achieve? Does it enhance the novel's themes (war, survival, etc.), or does it distance the reader from the story?

4. How does Annie's guilt about her mother's death feed her character later on? Does it affect the way she makes decisions and interacts with others?

5. In some societies, fire is used as part of a cleansing ritual after battle. What role does fire play in this novel?

6. In chapter eight, Annie' father tells her (p. 165): "You needed a hero." Was he right?

7. "Uncontrolled Flight" is a technical flying term meaning, as you might imagine, a flight profile (stall, dive, etc.) that the pilot cannot sustain, often preceding a crash. How does "uncontrolled flight" serve as a metaphor in the story?