1. How does Landon's mother play the role of both mother and father? Is her influence enough to make up for his father's absence? Conversely, how does Hegbert play the role of both mother and father? Do you think Hegbert should have remarried when Jamie was younger? Would Jamie have become a different person if he had?

2. Jamie accepts Landon's offer to attend the homecoming dance, and while there, she helps him not only get out of a fight, but cleans up Angela, making for a less than perfect evening. Would Landon have come to love Jamie if the "date" had been nicer? Would Jamie have asked him to be in the Christmas play?

3. Christianity plays a large role in both Jamie and Hegbert's lives. Which one seems to lead more of a Christian life? Should Jamie have been more outspoken about her faith? Was the fact that she didn't tell Landon about her sickness a "sin of omission?"

4. Why did Landon feel both a kinship and a rivalry with Eric? What was it about them that gave them such a special bond?

5. What are the major themes of the novel? How are they related?

6. For a long period, Landon refuses to admit to himself that he might like Jamie. Why does he refuse to admit this -- because of his friends or because of his own fears? Why, if he truly feels this, why does he often act in just the opposite way? When he says he loves her for the very first time, does he? How does his love change as the novel progresses?

7. At the end of the novel, Landon asks Jamie to marry him. Was he acting more to fulfill Jamie's wish than for himself? What does this say about Landon? What does it say about Jamie that she said 'yes'?

8. The Christmas Play was written by Hegbert to symbolize his belief that there was a period where he wasn't a good father, but he redeemed himself through the help of faith. What role does redemption play in the novel and how does faith play into that? How is Landon redeemed? Is Jamie redeemed?

9. What is the significance of the cemetery in the novel? How does that play into the major themes of the novel, faith and redemption?

10. The ending of the novel is purposely ambiguous. What did it mean to you and why? Should the ending have been spelled out more clearly? If you believe Jamie lived, what does that say about the story and themes? If you believe she died, what does that say? How do they differ?

11. How did the orphanage affect the relationship between Jamie and Landon?