1. How realistic was Leslie to you? Could you identify with her?

2. Do you think Leslie was right in her determination to create a distance between Dan and his mother? Why or why not?

3. Leslie did not grow up as a Christian. Discuss her feelings toward the church, God, and the community.

4. The bond between a mother and a child can, at times, be one of the strongest forces in nature. Compare Leslie's relationship with her son and Wilma's with Dan. How does one affect the other?

5. How do Leslie's relationship with her sister and feelings about her mother affect her interactions with Dan's family and community?

6. Leslie has a deep seated need to be a nurse as well as a mother. Can you sympathize or identify with her needs? Why or why not? Discuss the difficulties working mothers have with their divided loyalties.

7. Leslie moved to the community with the idea that this was only a temporary move. Discuss her changing feelings toward Harland and how they affected her final decision.

8. Leslie had a dream-a house and a yard and a family-that had to shift and change during the course of her stay in Harland. Have you ever had to let go of dreams and plans? How did this affect your relationship with God?

9. During the course of the story, Leslie slowly gets involved in an unhealthy relationship with Dr. John. Could you sympathize with her changing feelings toward Dr. John? How do you think you would respond in her situation?

10. There are times that our life's circumstances push us into places we don't want to go. How do you think God uses these times in our lives to draw us closer to Him?