Miracle Creek

Young believes that Mary will get a lesser punishment because she did not intend to hurt anyone when starting the fire. When considering punishment for crimes, how much should intentions and motives matter?

Young always knew that Mary would be punished for starting the fire, but wonders if the punishment fit the crime. Should Mary have gotten more or less prison time? Use evidence from the novel to support your answer.

Many of the characters think about how one seemingly inconsequential decision changed everything. Other than Mary’s decision to start the fire, which of the character’s decisions prior to the fire had the biggest effect on the outcome?

Young believes that other people, including herself, deserve punishment. Do you agree with Young? Who deserves punishment, and what punishment do they deserve?

Kim incorporates a series of twists and turns in the story, maintaining suspense up until the novel’s ending. Did you guess who the real culprit was before Mary confessed? If so, what clues gave it away? If not, who did you think started the fire?

Many characters indicate either explicitly or implicitly that Rosa does not have a good life, or that she would be better off dead. What do you think about these beliefs? What does it mean to have a “good life”?

Teresa confesses to Elizabeth that when Rosa was in a coma, she prayed for anything but death. However, in the years since, she doubts the wisdom of that prayer. Is death always the worst possible outcome?

The prosecution paints Elizabeth as trying to cure her son with dangerous and illicit treatments, whereas the defense argues that Elizabeth used alternative treatments because traditional medicine was inadequate. What are your beliefs about alternative medicines and therapies like HBOT?