The Big Shuffle (39 page)

Authors: Laura Pedersen

Questions and Topics for Discussion

When the Palmer family is in crisis, it's decided that Hallie will leave school to take over and not her brother Eric, who is a year older. Was this the right decision? In your family, are tasks typically divided into what is considered “men's work” and “women's work”?
The neighbor lady, Mrs. Muldoon, has a daughter in Arizona who wants her mother to come and live out there. Only Mrs. Muldoon has spent her entire life in town and doesn't want to leave. What are some of the pros and cons of having family members living nearby?
Do you belong to a community, organization, or close circle of friends who can rely upon each other when in need?
What do you think is the worst possible age to lose a parent?
In the Palmer family the girls tend to have major difficulties during their teenage years while the boys stay the course. In your experience, is it more common for boys or girls to have a rough patch as teenagers, or the same for both?
Do you think it's possible to forecast how your friends or family members would react to a family crisis like the one Hal-lie experiences, or is it impossible to tell with people until they're actually in such a situation?
Louise leaves home shortly after her father dies. Have you ever had a relationship or a bad experience in a particular place and felt that the only solution was to leave?
At a certain point Hallie wonders if something she may have done has caused tragedy to strike. Do you believe that good and bad things happen in life based on our behavior?
When Craig drops out of college, Hallie worries that he's jeopardizing his future. What would you advise Craig to do? How important is a college education today?
Olivia's boyfriend Ottavio turns out to be the jealous type and flies into a rage when she strikes up a friendship with a man. Did you feel Ottavio acted appropriately, or was his reaction out of proportion with the situation?
When Olivia takes up with a younger man, her son views this as being scandalous. Is there a double standard in society that allows for men to date younger women but not vice versa?
Going out with Auggie seems to help Hallie realize what she really wants in a boyfriend. Do you believe in love at first sight? Do you think that your first love is your only true love? Are you rational about the qualities you look for in a partner or do you base decisions purely on attraction and emotion?
Hallie and Craig finally decide to have a serious one-on-one relationship. How old must a person be to recognize true love and function in a mature relationship?
Hallie holds much of her grief inside because she's trying not to upset her younger siblings. Are there times when it's best to try to conceal your emotions, or is this almost always unhealthy?
While going through some papers Hallie discovers that her mother married and gave birth to her older brother earlier than she'd led the family to believe, largely because she regretted having dropped out of school. Is it okay for parents to keep some secrets, or is honesty always the best policy?
Even though Hallie cares very much for Pastor Costello, she's extremely angry when she discovers that he has feelings for her mother. In your experience, do most children react negatively to the prospect of a parent striking up a new relationship after a death or divorce?

L
aura Pedersen grew up near Buffalo and now lives in Manhattan where she volunteers at the Booker T. Washington Learning Center in East Harlem.

Visit her website at
www.LauraPedersenBooks.com
.

The Big Shuffle
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Original

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IRCLE
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eISBN: 978-0-307-48223-5

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