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10. At one point Lucia says that her grandmother may be the only person capable of forgiving her father, and only because her grandmother's faith dictates it. What role has forgiveness played in Lucia's life and that of her family since the events of 1986?

11. Do you think Lucia loves her parents?

12. What is the lowest point in the story?

13. Regardless of one's feelings about Mary Baker Eddy's theology, she was an early feminist who founded a religion and started The Christian Science Monitor. What is her legacy?

14. What do you think attracts people to Christian Science?

15. What is the difference between a religion and a cult?

16. Lucia's sister, Olivia, says to Lucia near the end of the book, "I just want you to know, you, Sherman, and I: we had three very different sets of parents. Your story's not mine." Is Olivia's comment a universal truth?

17. Sibling dynamics around family secrets are always complicated. How is what happens in fathermothergod similar or dissimilar to the way families handle other secrets, such as alcoholism or other addictions?

18. Which character in fathermothergod do you most identify with, and why?

Read O's review of fathermothergod

See which books made O's 2011 summer reading list

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