1. The ball player in the prologue predicts that one or more of siblings will become curious about their biological roots, while admitting that he himself was afraid of what he might discover. Do you think that it's always healthy for adopted children to know their origins or can it be a "Pandora's box" that might do more harm than good?

2. In the very first chapter, we see both David and Julia interacting with dead people. Julia prepares the tea table to please her Victorian-era aunts, and the house's male spirits begin to populate David's imagination. In what ways do you or your family include the departed --- by the power of memory and imagination --- in your everyday life? Are there particular practices you partake in?

3. Genealogy research has increased in popularity since the advent of the Internet. The Griswolds are one of those rare families who know exactly who they are and where they came from. Have you ever considered how you might permanently preserve your family's history from this day forward? What events from your life might be interesting to your descendants one hundred years from now? And lastly, would it change your view of yourself if you were to suddenly know your family's role or connection to a century or more of human history?

4. Body art goes back to ancient times. People get tattoos to telegraph their "tribal" membership, to express their individuality, or just for fun. If you have a tattoo, how did you choose the words, symbol or drawing? Do you feel that it still defines who you are today? If you don't have a tattoo but were to get one, what symbol(s) would you choose?

5. Brain tumors, injuries and dementia can give us a glimpse at how the brain processes and stores memory and language. What inaccessible moments of from your infancy or childhood would you most like to access?

6. Julia and Adrian are described as perfect opposites: she is cool, classic, and anchored in New England history, whereas Adrian is a rootless citizen of the South Beach netherworld. How do these difference make them a good match (or not)? Do you think that someone like Adrian can be faithful for a lifetime?

7. If you were in Julia's situation, would you continue to devote so much of your time to a dying ex-boyfriend or would you make a clean break? Would you feel guilty about falling in love with his brother?

8. Ray is a teddy-bear type who just wants to be loved. Holly is the most stable sibling, having discovered early on that she was born to be a mother. Taina is the complicated one --- both bold and deeply insecure. Of the five, which of these characters did you sympathize with the most? The least?

9. How do you feel about the decision that Kathy Cooper and Sister Juana made for the children? Do you think it was a risk worth taking? How did the events surrounding these unaccompanied minors change or confirm your views on the laws governing immigration?

10. David knows that he has a small window to build his final legacy. He wants to leave behind the gift of resolution, so that his siblings will be emotionally unencumbered and free to grow. How does each sibling eventually get what they were missing in life?