Comment on the novel’s depiction of memory as a moralizing force. How does memory affect characters like Vick and Nancy in different ways? Is memory therefore predisposed towards good or evil?

Discuss the subversive acts of characters like Lucy and Kahpeputz through an intersectional lens. How do their actions fit into a larger framework for social justice that considers both gender and race, among others, as sites for restitution?

Does the novel’s use of dramatic irony ultimately portray Vick and Lucy as sympathetic, or does it render their moral complicity even more damning?

How does the novel challenge the conventional wisdom that history is written by the victors? What are the novel’s moral implications on the desire and costs of victory?

Analyze how Ihli’s use of fictional characters helps to ground the historical experience of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. What aspects of characters does she leverage to make the events feel real and present to the contemporary reader?

Discuss the novel’s depiction of the social and psychological impact of religion on communities. How does the novel navigate the nuances of portraying a religious community as the primary instigator for the massacre?

Does Katrina Huff’s transformation into a fierce survivor subvert 19th-century ideals of femininity, or does it reinforce them under extreme circumstances? Explain.

Discuss the novel’s commentary on the American frontier. Does Ihli suggest that the United States’ westward expansion was a fraught activity, or does the narrative make considerations for the emigrant characters by making them sympathetic?