1. In the subculture of the RV world, “boondocking” means parking for the night or longer in non-designated camping areas without hookups for necessities such as electricity and water. How does this metaphor relate to Sylvia and Clayton’s new way of life?

2. On page 33, Sylvia thinks that the middle class “valued things that could vanish with carelessness.” Discuss some of the values that are particular to the working class. Why do you think that middle class lives are less celebrated in fiction than those of wealthy or poverty-stricken characters?

3. Does Melvin elicit your sympathy at any point in the book? If so, why?

4. Discuss the growing practice of grandparents raising their grandchildren and how this affects all members of a family. Why do grandparents often form a special bond with their grandchildren that parents can’t?

5. How would Rita’s character be different if she’d gone into hiding instead of taking to the road with her grandparents? What kind of life do you suppose she will have ten years from the close of the book?

6. The author chooses to tell this story from three different points of view. Why do you think she has each character focus on the specific time frame? For instance, why is Sylvia the one to start the book? How do you feel about the final section accommodating all their points of view?

7. What is the novel saying about the evolution of the American family? Is home strictly a concept or does it require some kind of physical grounding?