Group Discussions Questions

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Part I

1. As the sisters, Janet and Anne, go through their parents’ home after they’ve died, they keep important objects. What do we learn about the family from their selections?
2. In Chapter 2, in Morty’s letters to Niecy, what is he looking for in a wife? Is he hoping for a different kind of partner by the end of Part I?  How has he changed?
3. We only have two of Niecy’s letters. What is she like?  Why does she marry Morty? 

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Part II

1. Mort works constantly to succeed in the sighted world. His work routine defines the family schedule. Bernice doesn’t understand physics, yet she reads it for hours each day. How does their physics collaboration shape the family? 
2. Janet finds meaning in Judaism as a child from her extended family’s and community’s celebrations. Are Mort and Bernice consciously giving her a Jewish foundation? How do they respond to her questions about their Jewish beliefs? How do science and Judaism exist side-by-side in Janet’s family? 
3. Bernice helps Janet understand the Vietnam War, social justice and politics. Where does she take or send her daughter and what does Janet see? How does Bernice encourage opposition to the war? Is Janet tuned into her mother’s hopes?

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Part III

1. After the family visits his mother’s grave, how does Mort’s mid-life crisis affect them all?
2. What kinds of losses face Mort, Bernice, Janet and Anne as they mature and age? How do they each regenerate? What is consistent about their coping? What is different? 

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Part IV

1. Janet returns to Michigan as her parents become ill. What is she looking for? 
2. How does the author rely on Jewish practice after Bernice’s death? Is meaning something discovered once or is it rediscovered many times over a long life?  
3. What is Mort accomplishing by his life review? How is the author continuing the quest by writing?  

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