All My Puny Sorrows

The novel incorporates flashbacks throughout the narrative present. What formal and thematic role do these sequences play in Yoli’s overarching story?

Much of the narrative action in the present takes place at the hospital. How does this micro setting impact the narrative moods and atmospheres? What conflicts does the setting create? How does the setting impact the primary characters?

Yoli spends significant periods of time visiting with Elf. How do these visits provide insight into the sisters’ relationship? Consider what the sisters talk about and how they interact physically.

Concerns about mental health pervade Yoli’s narrative. Analyze the role of psychiatry in Yoli’s story. How do her sister’s and father’s experiences of depression relate to Yoli’s state of mind? How does the healthcare system affect Yoli’s ability to help Elf?

Craft an argument that supports or refutes the following claim: Elf is a dynamic character.

Elf is a professional pianist. What perspectives does the text offer about the music industry? Consider, for example, the role that her agent and fans play in the text.

Yoli and Elf are raised in the Mennonite community. Analyze the significance of their religious upbringing. How does this facet of their past relate to their identities in the present?

Compare and contrast Yoli’s relationship with Elf to Lottie’s relationship with Tina. How do the parallels between these sisterhoods relate to the novel’s explorations of sibling relationships?