1. At the Harvest Fair, Sidney prays for a man to help her with her lost son. What lesson does she learn from the course of events that follows?

2. What initially causes Millard Bradbury to take on the responsibility for a shaggy-haired, delinquent teenage boy?

3. Compare Millard at the beginning of the story to the man he is at the end. Discuss his journey.

4. Sidney believes that the one thing Tyson learned from school is that he is bad. Do you think this is a common problem for children with ADD or other learning challenges? Is medication the answer?

5. Like Sidney, many women are raising children without a husband who is physically and/or emotionally there for them. How important is the father's role in a child's life? What should that role look like?

6. Can you think of people in a community or entities that might help compensate for the needs of a fatherless child?

7. Compare Millard's relationship with his daughter to his relationship with Sidney.

8. Was Jack a good father figure for Tyson and the girls? Why or why not? What about Alex?

9. If Sidney had married Jack for the sake of her children, do you think they could ultimately have been a happy family? Why or why not?

10. What are some of the factors contributing to Ty's frustration and anger?

11. What traits do Deputy Sheriff Estrada and Tyson Walker have in common?

12. How does Millard's relationship with his own son influence his relationship with Tyson throughout the course of the novel?

13. How and why do Tyson's attitudes toward Alex Estrada change? Is there a single turning point, or does it seem to be a gradual change?

14. Is it possible to forgive such devastating betrayals as those experienced by Alex and Ty? How might lack of forgiveness affect their lives?

15. Would this story make a good movie? What was your favorite scene?