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1. The novel opens with Caroline reflecting that "There's nothing to do but keep walking, you have to be ready for everything" (3). What does this comment tell the reader about Caroline's state of mind?

Caroline's upbringing has been a blessing and a curse. At 13, she is tougher and more resilient than many adults. On the other hand, she has been taught to accept as normal a level of vigilance and deprivation that most people would find unacceptable.

2. In the beginning of the book, what activity are Caroline and Father engaged in, and why?

Caroline and Father are stealing scrap metal from a salvage yard. They intend to use it to prop up the roof of their cave house.

3. Describe Randy's appearance.

Randy is a toy horse that has one white side with small holes with numbers next to them and a painting of its musculature and organs on the other side. It rests on a metal stand, which leaves a small hole when Caroline takes it off the stand to carry with her. Inside its hollow interior, she has secreted a small shiny rock and a scrap of paper that has a secret written on it.

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