There are numerous significant contemporary social and literary issues raised in this novel. Human sexuality and women as sexual beings are becoming increasingly prominent subjects of public discourse. The degree to which Kennedy treats this topic from both male and female points of view is provocative.

1. How clearly is the distinction made between love and lust in Very Old Bones? Consider especially section two of Book Four in which Molly and Giselle discuss their perceptions.

2. Kennedy has been criticized for his depiction of women. Does Very Old Bones present a very favorable picture of males? Consider Orson especially.

While discussions of ethnicity are somewhat problematic in a politically sensitive climate, Kennedy's Very Old Bones demands that attention.

3. In spite of the significance of the Malleus Maleficarum in the murder of Lizzie, does Kennedy in this novel blame Catholicism for the failures of the Phelan family? It...