1. Abby goes to great lengths to find her family, including going to the Hill Country with Hank, a stranger. Do you think she was brave or foolish? What would you do in similar circumstances?

2. Is Nick’s vulnerability at the time he met Sondra a mitigating factor in his betrayal of Abby? Can there ever be mitigating factors in the betrayal of one person by another?

3. Many times throughout the story, Abby is surprised by the behavior of people she believed she knew --- her husband, her son, her best friend; she learns she doesn’t know any one of them as well as she thought. Have you ever been surprised in the same way? Do you think it’s possible to know someone completely, even those with whom you live?

4. Abby and Kate are two very different people. Kate is outgoing and verbal, while Abby tends to be more solitary and introspective. Would you say their friendship proves the old adage that opposites attract? What traits do you admire in your closest friend? In what ways does the relationship enhance who you are? Do you feel, as Abby does, that you and your closest friend are two halves of the same heart?

5. Many of the characters keep information from Abby in order to protect her. Should they have told Abby about the incidents immediately? Or is ignorance truly blissful? What would you have done?

6. What do you think is the significance of the scene where Dennis and Abby come across the injured doe and her fawn? What about the old Indian chief’s sacrifice in the legend of the bluebonnet?

7. Discuss the significance of the title.

8. Motherhood and sacrifice are strong themes in the book. Discuss the sacrifices Abby made for her children. Do you feel she did enough to protect them and to steer them in the right direction in life?