1. "The only ghosts she believed in were the ones kept alive by devotion," Yorke writes of Kate Vegas. What do we learn about her character from this early description? Does she still think this at the end of the story? Why or why not?

2. How does the central event of Kate's life—the loss of William—alter her beliefs? By the end of the book, has she reconciled her mother's insistence that "Joy is in pursuit of us all" (p. 46) with her own professed lack of faith? What influences her decision?

3. Contrast the physical details of Seal Bay at Kate, Gerald, and Wayne's arrival with the Seal Bay at the end of their story. How does the environment impact their lives? Did they changed the town—or did the town change them? Or both? Discuss.

4. "Sorrow had once seemed lodged in a loftier atmosphere than anger or even joy, but over time she had realized it was no different. As with anything, it snapped like a frayed cable if you put too much weight on it, if you hung your whole life on its thread," (p.5) Kate Vegas says. How do the Dodson daughters, Crazy Mary, and Kate herself illustrate this idea? What about the men? Do the events of the novel suggest that there is an alternative path away from grief? Discuss.

5. What does Kate's artwork—paintings which layer image upon image, the seen and the unseen—reveal about her personality?

6. In Seal Bay, a weeping laurel tree brings death to sailors and a blind old woman offers spells for the living. At the same time, a "sea monster" is conjured from PVC pipe and "treasure" appears in the sand when a small boy and his mother most need it. Are some kinds of magic more "real" than others? Do you think the author is trying to say something about the ‘supernatural,'—or about the way people deal with what they cannot understand? Discuss.

7. Romantic relationships blossom for almost every major character in the book: Kate and Ben, Jenny and Wayne, Gerald and Gwen, Trudy and Zachary, and Nicole and William. Is the nature of each love affair different? Where does each derive its power?

8. "Love is not something you get over," Mary insists (p. 300). "Why would you even want to?... why can't we wake up in our beds at night, sure he came to us while we were sleeping? I'm telling you, life gets lonely fast enough. Why not share it with a ghost or two?" Compare this perspective on ‘ghosts' with Kate's (see question 1). What does the novel ultimately say about the price of love—and the refusal to let it go?

9. Why do you think the author chose to end the novel the way she did from the point of view of the old dog? Discuss.