1. Is the development of plot or of character more important in this novel.

2. What does having a "gift" mean, exactly, to the Shakers? What is Sarah Barker's "gift," which gives the novel its title? Does Yolen make the meaning clear?

3. Why does Sarah spell her name with an "h," when the community calls her Sara?

4. Does Yolen give equal emphasis to the characters of Sarah and Abel? Is one character more rounded or better developed than the other?

5. What does Abel mean when he says: "They hear, but they don't listen?" Why does Sarah agree?

6. At one point Sarah suddenly understands her roommate Ann's creation of "dream messages" or "paper visions." What does Sarah mean? What is Ann's purpose?

7. What does Sarah mean when she thinks about "how perfect the Dwelling House was and how like a dream."

It was "as preserved as a...