1. In the novel, Libby is at first reluctant to question the past. Why is she reluctant? What begins her transformation?

2. Libby is not a typical symbol of femininity. Her mother said that with her looks she would have to try harder to get a man. Several people have made fun of her cleft lip, yet she has no lack of male suitors. Discuss Libby as a feminine symbol.

3. Libby has always protected her brother Leon. And yet in part because of him, she was never able to have a life, a husband, and a family. What does Leon represent to Libby?

4. Ambriose is a complex character. A drunkard, he is gruff and distant from his family, yet by the end of the novel, we see him in different terms. Why?

5. The setting of this novel can almost be looked upon as another character. How does the bleak Maine landscape contribute to the tension of the book?

6. Libby was abandoned by her mother at a young age. How does this affect her? Does she ultimately resolve her conflict about being left alone?

7. The title comes from The book of Genesis: "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." Discuss as many possible implications of this as they appear in the novel.

8. Had Libby known earlier on about the truth of Dieter Kallick's death, would she have lived her life differently?

9. Did the horror of the Holocaust and the atrocities on the German side diminish the concern of the local citizens about the death of a German?

10. Why did the author choose to tell the story from a female point of view?

11. Mitzi's death hits Libby hard. Why does she react so emotionally and how does this serve as a pivotal force in the novel?