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The Lost Bird: Readers Guide

The Lost Bird
  1. What role or significance do Father John's opera tapes play?


  2. Are priests allowed to be human?


  3. Does Father John say at the Wind River Reservation because he doesn't think he can function in a more urban/modern church or society?


  4. As an alcoholic, had Father John redeemed himself in his eyes? In the eyes of the Provincial? In his family's eyes?


  5. What do you think draws Vicky to Father John and vice versa?


  6. Does Vicky identify with Sharon David? Are they both "women alone"


  7. Is Vicky unsure of her identity as a lawyer, as an Arapaho woman, as a lover?


  8. What role does the Moccasin Telegraph play in the book? Do we have one today?


  9. Should Father Joseph have broken the confessional seal? Did he learn about the babies in the confessional?


  10. When do you break a confidence?


  11. Why do you think Father Joseph came back 30 years later?


  12. How resilient is the human spirit?


  13. How is the Arapaho family/society different from yours?


  14. Discuss the passage on page 15: "Woman known to millions but unknown to herself."


  15. How does the author use description in her story telling?


  16. Is Megan a lost child?


  17. Why did Father John become an alcoholic?


  18. Does time heal all wounds?


  19. Are there lost children in today's world?