This novel suffers no lack of topics worthy of discussion. In its study of faith and resistance, signs and racism and the many facets of the human character, readers will recognize themselves again and again. A worthy subject for discussion is the detail Mason uses, which at times almost overwhelms the reader. Certainly in the face of the growing tide of media sensationalism found in the everyday American's life, the attitudes of the public, whipped into a frenzy of curiosity over the Wheelers' babies by the press, will cause immediate reader reaction. The reactions of the various family members to the deaths of the quintuplets offer focus for contrast and comparison, as does the attitudes toward life and death at the turn of the century as compared to today.

1. What exactly is it about Christianna Wheeler which sets her apart from the members of her husband's...