1. Why is Ellen afraid of Sleet? What did Granny Bo say about the horse?

Why did Ellen's father not get rid of Sleet? What is meant by "Whenever she approached the stall, her fear went before her and riled the horse, so that when they confronted each other, eye to eye, he wasn't a horse at all?"

2. Contrast Ellen's isolation with her fascination with newscaster Maureen Sinclair's flair for delivering news of foreign places.

3. Naylor excels at descriptions that create moods. Give examples from the book.

4. What statements does Gerald make that cause Ellen to doubt his word? Why?

5. Aiter the storm at the end of chapter ten, Ellen "moaned in the terror she had created..." Give examples of other times Ellen creates her own terror.

6. Learning who to doubt and who to trust is a difficult lesson for Ellen...