- When we return to a place we haven’t been to for years, we notice new buildings, businesses, and other features that have sprung up since we left. And then we begin to notice what is missing. Have you visited your home town and found it greatly changed? How was it the same? How did that make you feel?
- When you meet someone you haven’t seen for a long time, what is the first thing that strikes you about them?
- Edward’s father died while he was away. How do his acquaintances respond to that when he returns? What can you do to help a person who wasn’t able to be on hand when a loved one died?
- How does Edward’s mother help him spiritually? Try to think of several ways you could help someone who has gone through a traumatic experience.
- Why does Jacob decide not to sail anymore, while Edward makes no such promises? Have you ever given up something to please someone you love?
- What do you think of Abigail’s choice?
- Edward brought back something from each of his fellow castaways, even if it was only a button. If you were on that island, what would you like him to take back to your family?
- In what ways has Edward grown and changed in the five years he was away? Abigail? Deborah?
- Asked what five books he would take with him if he was going to be marooned on a desert island, George Bernard Shaw said, “Five blank books.” What five books would you take (no fair imitating Shaw)?
- Deborah and Mrs. Hunter watch the observatory tower eagerly for signs of incoming ships. What signs do you watch for, and what do they signify in your life?