Homecoming

Abigail judges Liza’s choice for Dicey’s name: “Some ungodly name she gave you” (308). Explore the significance of the characters’ names. Is “Dicey,” meaning unpredictable and risky, a fitting name for the main character? Why or why not? How might Sammy’s name affect Abigail, who lost her own Samuel to war? What is the purpose of giving some characters no official name (i.e., the children cannot remember their father’s name; they don’t know what to call Abigail until the novel’s close)?

Who or what serves as the novel’s antagonist? Why? Explore Homecoming’s moral commentary and how a clear line does not separate good and bad.

What mistakes does Dicey make, and how does she learn from them? Though still a child, Dicey takes on the responsibilities of an adult for the novel’s entirety. How might her experiences complicate the remainder of her childhood moving forward?