1. Rachel Berman gave up an infant when she was very young. Would committing a similar act, either by choice or by not, change the way you parent subsequent children? Would you tell your children about their missing sibling?

2. Do you believe a teenager who gives up her baby for adoption is incredibly selfless or selfish? If you were in Rachel’s position as a teen, faced to do the same, do you think you might regret giving up the infant or would you feel you offered the child a better life?

3. Rachel’s teenage daughter Janie eventually reveals herself to be a lesbian. If a child of yours were to tell you he or she was gay, how would you feel? What, if anything, would change in your parent-child relationship?

4. This story is populated by children. If Rachel had never had children, how would her relationship with Piper differ? How would it differ if Piper had never been penniless?

5. Bullying is a central theme of the book. If you were the parent of a child involved in bullying another, how would you react? And as you reprimand your child for his or her actions, would the slightest part of you be secretly relieved your child was in the position of power vs. weakness?

6. As a result of giving up her firstborn, Rachel is petrified of losing her remaining children. What role does Dustin play in changing his mother? Have you ever felt overly protective of your own kids? If so, did anything in your past provoke this?

7. Len’s parents must relinquish the proposed guardianship of Olivia to Rachel. Do you think they would be accepting of this? As a grandparent, would you?