1. Saving Elijah opens with three quotations that are intimately tied to the themes of the novel. In what ways do they enhance the story being told? Which quotation do you feel has the greatest impact on the reader in relation to Dinah’s story, and why?

2.Why does the author juxtapose the ghost with the real-life horrors that Dinah faces in the PICU? How does the ghost’s attack on Dinah personify the bereavement process? How does his voice alter the mood of the novel?

3. The idea that every human being has decisions to make in life is a significant theme in all literature, including Saving Elijah. In addition to the Faustian bargain proposed by the ghost, what other decisions is Dinah faced with? How do her experiences or personality influence the choices she ultimately makes?

4. Life support is a complicated question about which there are diverse opinons, as is evident in the novel. How do the background and beliefs (religious, political, ethical, medical) of each of the characters influence their opinions about this question? Are you surprised by any of these opinions? What are your views, and how have they been shaped by your background or beliefs? Does the novel as a whole take a stand on the question of life support, and if so, what is it?

5. What effect is achieved by the author’s decision to tell the story from Dinah’s point of view? How might the novel differ if it were told by an impartial narrator or in alternating voices?

6. In your opinion, is Dinah’s encounter with the ghost a figment of her imagination or an actual religious experience? Can an outside observer differentiate between the two?

7. What impact does Dinah’s mother have on her daughter’s actions? To what extent is Dinah’s marriage influenced by her severed relationship with Julie? To what degree does guilt play a role in their separation?

8. Why do you think Dinah reacts so strongly and negatively to Dr. Moore? Did the diverse temperaments and approaches of the physicians in the book surprise you?

9. The psychiatrist Dr. Kessler defines compassion as "willingness to be close to suffering." Why do you think Dinah can’t see it this way at that moment, focusing instead on the "babblers, advice-givers and pain-minimizers," as she calls them? In your own experience, as either a recipient or giver of compassion, are people mostly willing to be "close to suffering"?

10. Why does Dinah reject the traditional trappings of her own profession, such as grief support or personal therapy? Do you think that such a character would eventually seek help from these sources?

11.The word "closure" is often used to express the resolution of grief. Do you think Dinah has achieved it or will achieve it? Does "closure" accurately describe the most desirable outcome for anyone’s grief?

12. What is the function of the various life stories presented in the narrative, particularly those of Dinah’s mother and the elderly writers? Why do you think the author chose not to reveal the details of Ellen Shoenfeld’s Holocaust experience?