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1. Though at the novel’s center is an act of
shocking violence, this is also a story about many different kinds of
love. What are these various forms of love? What role does love play in
this novel, and how does love contribute to the feelings you are left
with in the end?
2. When Wade’s memory begins to fail, Ann endures humiliation and
physical pain because of his actions, which, to someone outside of the
relationship, would look like domestic abuse. Discuss the ways in which
she copes with these episodes. How does Ann interpret these acts of
violence, and what does that say about her as a character? Did you feel
nervous and uncomfortable about the fine line she is walking between her
love and her safety?
3. What are other examples of sacrifice in this novel?
4. Consider the structure of the book: the shifting narrative voices and
the shifting timeline, spanning nearly fifty years. How does the book’s
structure influence your understanding of each character and his or her
story? Discuss also the inclusion of minor perspectives, such as the
bloodhound and Eliot.
5. What role does art play in this story? Consider music, painting, and
poetry. How do you understand Tom Clark’s motivations?
6. Near the end of the novel, Ann remembers learning about the history
of Idaho’s name. How does this history inform her own life? Why is Idaho
the title of this novel? Discuss also the role the landscape plays in
the interior lives of all the characters. How would you characterize
this landscape?
7. Female friendship and sisterhood are major themes. Discuss the
various relationships between the female characters, including the
children. Is female friendship the saving grace of this story?
8. How do you interpret the act of violence that is at the heart of this
story? Do you feel that Ann’s interpretation is correct? Do you feel the
novel provides an absolute answer? Why do you think the author chose to
tell only as much as she did?
9. Do you sympathize with Jenny, in spite of what she’s done? Why or why
not? If you had to choose only one moment in the story that
characterized Jenny, would it be her act of violence, or something else?
How do you think she understands herself?
10. Are you surprised by the end of Ann’s story? Jenny’s? Why or why
not?
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