Mercy

From the moment Jamie walks into Cam’s life, Cam has a strong response to him. Why is this? Why does Cam choose to anonymously hire a lawyer for Jamie? Do Cam’s feelings about Jamie’s actions change over the course of the book? Why or why not? Support your answer with quotations from the text.

Why do you think Allie is drawn to Jamie, and Cam to Mia? Are there any similarities in each of these attractions? Why do these relationships cause Allie and Cam to do things that are otherwise uncharacteristic of them?

There are fantastical elements present in the book, from the dreams and visions that Angus has to the presence of Maggie’s ghost and the forewarning of Angus’s death. What function do these fantastical elements play particularly within the context of heritage?

The book features more than one moral dilemma. Are there any similarities between the different situations? What conclusions, if any, do you think Picoult is leading the reader toward? In the context of these dilemmas, explore how ideas of sin and immortality are explored in the book, particularly through symbols and metaphors.

Before the trial begins, Jamie has a flourishing career in virtual reality. Why do you think Picoult chose this as a career for him, and why do flashbacks reveal details about his work? Explore the significance of the recurring thread of a disconnect from reality or alternate reality that is present throughout the book.

Interspersed throughout the book are notes from an unnamed writer to a lover who has left. How do the notes function to present a counternarrative or speak to events after the book ends? Do the notes appear to be from different characters at different points of time? Justify your response with textual details.

Explain the symbolism behind all the bonsai bursting into bloom upon Cam’s discovery of Mia’s departure and Allie’s discovery of their affair. Further, discuss the symbolism of flowers as they relate to both Allie and Mia in each instance that they use them for a specific purpose to draw a conclusion about each of the two women.

The book ends on an ambiguous note, with Allie and Cam seemingly beginning a conversation about their marriage. How do you think this conversation will go? What do you think will happen to Allie and Cam’s marriage, and to both of them respectively, following the end of the novel?