Ordinary Grace

How would the events of this novel be told differently were they to arrive from the perspective of Warren Redstone? Write an epistolary essay from the point-of-view of Redstone which chronicles his time in New Bremen in the summer of 1961.

How does postwar trauma affect the characters in the book who are former soldiers? While PTSD would not yet have been a socially-recognized disorder in 1961, can you seen symptoms of PTSD in the characters in this book? 

How does class/social status protect and not protect various characters in Ordinary Grace? 

Discuss the character of Ruth, Nathan’s wife and Frank’s mother. Is she a sympathetic character, for you? In your opinion, does she make the correct decision in not leaving her husband, as she almost does at one point? 

Does religious faith help or hinder the characters in Ordinary Grace? Pick three characters to focus on, examining faith’s assets and liabilities in their respective lives. 

What do you view as the strengths and weaknesses of the New Bremen community? Identify three of each. 

Discuss how Frank Drum’s character evolves over the course of the novel. Does he become more trusting of those around him, or less trusting? Does he make better decisions by the novel’s end than he does at the beginning? Do you view him as having grown as a person? 

How is the character of Gus essential to the events that unfold over the course of Ordinary Grace? What role or roles does Gus serve for the Drum family?