Betty

Betty calls Lint the “foundation of [their] family” (404). Discuss Lint as a character. How does his struggle with mental health change the Carpenter family? How does he learn to cope with his pain? How does he change throughout the novel?

What does “A Faraway Place” mean to the Carpenter sisters? Why do they choose this name? What does this place provide that they cannot find elsewhere?

Choose one of Landon’s stories and analyze it. Why does he tell that story at that time? Why does he choose those words, characters, and outcomes?

Discuss the prevalence of sexual abuse in this novel, specifically abuse of women and girls perpetrated by men. How does this inform the themes? How does it change the way Betty sees the world?

Consider the many Bible references in the book, including the quotes at the start of each chapter. What purposes do these allusions and quotations serve in this story? What are the main characters’ relationships to Christianity?

Why does the author include the newspaper articles from the Breathanian throughout the story? What purpose do they serve? How does the resolution of this mystery give it meaning?

Explore the similarities and differences between Flossie and Betty. They are close in age and have many shared experiences, so why do their lives diverge? What does Betty make of Flossie’s fate?

How does Landon’s ancestry in the Aniwodi clan of the Cherokee people inform this novel? How does it inform Landon’s character and worldview, and how does he pass this worldview down to his children?