Chapter 1, pp. 1-11

What was the Field of Leaving?  Why was Kira there?

What did people believe about death?  What customs did they have when someone died?

What special problems did Kira have?

What did the people want to do when Kira was born?  How did her mother prevent this?

What is a “cott”?  What are “tykes”?

From the first chapter, how would you describe the social relations in this village?  Give examples to illustrate your points.

Who was Matt?  What was his relationship to Kira?

What unusual custom did people have with names?

What new problems was Kira going to have?  Why?

Chapter 2, pp. 12-20

What problem did Kira and her mother have in getting food? What did they do to get food?
 
When Kira returned to the location of her cott, what was the first sign that people didn’t respect her?

Why was Vandara a dangerous enemy?  What did she want to do?

How did Kira protect herself from Vandara and the women?

Who could Kira depend on for help?

How were children treated in the village?  Give examples to support your points.

Chapter 3, pp. 21-30

Why was the Council Edifice greater than the other buildings in the village?

What was “the Ruin”?  What was the Ruin Song?

What accusations did Vandara make against Kira?

What decision did Kira have to make?  What did she decide?  Why?

Chapter 4, pp. 31-45

Who was Jamison?  How did he defend Kira?

What were some things that men in the village were permitted to do but women could not do?

What was Matt going to do for Kira?  What does this show about Matt?

What did Kira have in her pocket?  Why was this important for her?

What talent did Kira’s mother have? What had she repaired? What was the color that Kira’s mother couldn’t make?

Chapter 5, pp. 46-55

What plan did the Council of Guardians have for Kira?

What did Vandara get?  Why? What was her attitude?

What did Vandara expect would happen to Kira?

What happened with Matt and his dog?  What does this show about Matt?

Who was Camilla? What was going to happen to her?  Why?  What would happen to her children?

What are some details from Chapter 5 that show the brutality of life in the village?

Chapter 6, pp. 56-66

What did Matt want to do for Kira? What does this show about Matt?

Why couldn’t Kira get married?

Why did Jamison become impatient?

Describe how Kira’s new room was different from the cott were she lived before.

What object had Matt brought for Kira?

Chapter 7, pp. 67-76

What was new to Kira in her new home?  What didn’t she understand?

Who was Thomas?  What was his job? How did Kira feel about him? Why did she feel this way?

What happened to Thomas’s parents?

Who would take care of Kira’s needs?

What was Kira’s new responsibility?  Why was this important?

What problem did Kira have about her new job?  What was Jamison’s reaction when he heard about this problem? What was he going to do to help her?

How was Kira’s new life different from her old life?  Do you think it will be better or worse?  Explain why.

Chapter 8, pp. 77-86

Why was Kira happy to have Matt come with her?

Where did Annabella live?  Describe it.

Describe Annabella.

What knowledge did Annabella have?  What did she use to make her dyes?

Why would it be difficult for Kira to learn how to make dyes?

What did Annabella give to Kira?  Why was this important?

What color was difficult to find?  Where did they have the material for this color?

Chapter 9, pp. 87-99

What color had almost disappeared from the robe?

What did Thomas do to help Kira remember the names of the flowers and their colors?  Why couldn’t Kira do this herself?

What were the women building in the place where Kira’s cott had been?  What was it for?  What materials were they using to build it? What does this show about how they treated children?

What was the condition of Kira’s mother’s garden?  What did Kira take from the garden?  Why?

Who did Kira see when she was returning from her mother’s garden?  What was her attitude to Kira?

What sound did Thomas hear during the night?

What project did Thomas have to work on?

What gift did Thomas make for Kira?  What would Kira use the gift for?

What story did the robe tell?

Why didn’t Kira have very much time?  What was Jamison’s attitude like?

What did Kira and Thomas see the men doing?  Who did Kira see preparing to go with them?  What was Kira’s reaction?  Thomas’s reaction?  The reaction of Kira’s scrap of cloth?

Chapter 10, pp.100-106

Describe the men who were preparing for the hunt.  How were they acting?

Why was Kira uncomfortable around the men?

What did Kira and Thomas do with Matt?

What did Matt want from them?  What did they give him?

What did Thomas have that was similar to Kira’s scrap of clth?  How was it similar?

Chapter 11, pp. 107-114

Why was Kira frightened when she went to Annabella’s home?

What did Annabella tell Kira that surprised her?

What did Kira and Thomas realize about beasts?

What did Kira wonder about her father?

What happened with the scrap that night?

Chapter 12, pp. 115-121

How was Kira’s work on the robe going now?  What would she work on after the Gathering?  According to Jamison, how would she know what to picture there?  How did she feel about this?

Who did she want to ask about the beasts?  Why?

What pattern did Kira notice on the robe?  How were the sections of serentity different from the other sections?  What color did Kira want?  Why?

How would ordinary people be spending the stormy day?  What does tis show about ordinary life in the village?

What sound did Thomas hear during the night?  What did Kira, Thomas, and Matt decide to do?

Chapter 13, pp. 122-129

What did Kira, Thomas, and Matt hear downstairs? What was Jamison doing?

What did Matt know about the child?

What happened to the child’s parents?  What usually happened to orphans?

How was the child similar to Thomas and Kira?

How did Jamison react when Kira told him what Annabella said about beasts?

What did Jamison tell Kira bout beasts?  What did he warn her to do?

Who do you think is lying about beasts?  Why?

Chapter 14, pp.130-138

What did Marlena tell Kira about Jo?

What happened to Annabella?  Why do you think this happened?

How did Jo feel?  Why?  What did Kira promise Jo?

Why do you think that Kira said nothing to Jamison about Jo?

Chapter 15, pp. 139-146

According to Jamison, how did Annabella die?

What did Kira wonder about Annabella’s death?

How was the Thomas’s treatment similar to Jo’s treatment when he first arrived?  Why did he think they treated Kira differently?

In what ways were Kira, Thomas, and Jo similar?

What did Thomas have that could help Kira reach Jo?  What plan did they make?

Chapter 16, pp. 147-154

What did Jo want?  Why did her head hurt?  

What did Thomas and Kira ask Jo to do?

What did Kira do to Jo before they left her?

Why were Jo, Kira, and Thomas in that place?

Why didn’t  Kira feel free? What did she want to be able to do?

Do you think Kira really had a better life before she moved to the new place?  Explain.

Chapter 17, pp.155-166

Why did Kira want to go to the Fen?

What happened when Vandara saw Kira?

What is your opinion of the Fen?  Give some details to support your opinion.

In your own words, describe the cott where Matt lived.

According to Matt’s brother, what did Matt go to find?  Why did he want to find it?

According to Kira, what special skill did Matt have?

Chapter 18, pp. 167-173

What important event was approaching?  How did people change at this time?

What did Jo expect would happen when she learned the songs?

Describe the scene in the part of the robe that was difficult for Kira to repair.  Why was this scene difficult for her?

How did the Singer prepare?  Could he make changes in the song?  Why hadn’t Kira seen him?

What did Jamison tell Kira that made Kira feel dismayed?  Why was she upset?

Chapter 19, pp. 174-181

How did the people act differently on the day of the Gathering?

Why did Kira feel embarrassed when she entered the Council of Guardians hall?

What four people did the chief guardian introduce at the beginning of the ceremony?  How did the crowd react to Jo?  Why?

What did Thomas and Kira hear when the Singer was preparing to begin?

Chapter 20, pp. 182-190

What was Kira secretly learning?

What did Thomas and Kira notice while the Singer was singing? Who ws it?

What did Matt have for Kira?  Where did he find it?

What did Matt say about the dangers in the woods?  What did Matt say about the people in the place he visited?

What else did Matt promise Kira?

What did Kira notice as the Singer prepared to sing again in the afternoon?  What was her reaction when she realized what it was?

Chapter 21, pp. 191-198

How did Kira feel when the Gathering ended?

Describe the man who was in Kira’s room.  How was he different from anyne she had seen before?

What happened to “damaged” people in the village?

What else had Matt and the man brought with them?

What was hanging from the man’s neck?  Who was the man?

Chapter 22, pp. 199-208

How was Kira’s father injured?  Why did this happen?

Why did Kira think that the village couldn’t change?

How was Kira’s father saved?

Explain how the people in the other village were different from the people in Kira’s village.

Why hadn’t Kira’s father returned before?

Why did Kira think that she and her father should stay?

Explain how Vandara was injured.

What did Kira find out about Jamison?

Chapter 23, pp. 209-215

What did Kira realize about her mother’s death?

What did Kira realize about herself, Thomas, and Jo?

What plan did Kira have for her father and herself at the beginning of this chapter?

What was the sound that Kira had heard during the Gathering?  What did she notice about the Singer? What does this show about the future of Kira, Thomas, and Jo?

Why did the guardians need to control Kira, Thomas, and Jo?

What decision did Kira make?  Why did she decide to do this?

Why do you think the author mentioned the boy in the other village with blue eyes?

What do you think is the meaning of blue in the book?

Do you think that Kira made the right decision?  Do you think she can change the village?

If you were in Kira’s position, what would you do?