The Life She Was Given

How does Wiseman’s choice to divide the narrative into two separate time frames affect the reading experience? How would a chronological approach have changed the novel?

In the additional Q&A portion of the novel, Wiseman explains that she is passionate about the humane treatment of animals. Compare the novel’s two for-profit animal enterprises: the circus and the breeding farm. What do these uses of animals say about the people involved in them and Wiseman’s views on animals?

How does the novel portray people with authority or power over others? Is there anything sympathetic about these characters? Why or why not?