READERS GUIDE
Discussion Questions1. Ignoring the issue of who has legal rights to Allie and who does not, who do you think Allie should live with: her stepmother, Char, or her biological mother, Lindy? Why?
2. Should Char shoulder some of the blame for Allie’s behavior throughout the book? Why or why not?
3. Allie and Char are both grieving the loss of Bradley. How are they able to help one another throughout this time? How are their mourning processes different?
4. Legally, Char has no parental rights to Allie once Bradley dies. Do you agree with this law? Should stepparents have certain rights to their stepchildren in the event of a spouse’s death?
5. Allie and Morgan have a special bond. Why do you think this is? What do they provide for one another to make their relationship so special?
6. Dave Crew ultimately prioritizes his biological son over his adopted daughter. Is this understandable, or is it reprehensible?
7. “Rehoming” is a difficult, but very real, event that occurs in adoptive families. Do you agree with the Crews’ decision to rehome Morgan? Was Morgan’s violent behavior enough of a reason to do so?
8. One of the issues the Crews face is an inability to afford post-adoption mental-health services for Morgan. Do you believe there was more they could have done? Should the state and federal governments improve the availability of these services?
9. Should Char have reported the Crews to the Michigan authorities? Why or why not?
10. We get a glimpse of how things turned out for Char, Allie, and Morgan. How do you think things turned out for the Crews?
11. There are several different mother-daughter relationships explored throughout the book: Allie and Char; Allie and Lindy; Morgan and Sarah. How are these relationships different? How are they similar? Did you relate to one relationship more than the others?
