Reader's Guide for The Last Odd Day

1. Jean's neighbor, Maude, has a gift of prophecy revealed in her dreams. Have you ever had a prophetic dream, or has someone you know ever shared a dream with you that foretold of some future event?

2. Jean places her husband, O.T., in a nursing home. How difficult is such a placement on family members? Where can family members find support when making these decisions?

3. What are your thoughts about care in nursing facilities? Do you have a family member in a nursing home? Have you ever visited a nursing home?

4. When do you think it is time to place a loved one in a full-care facility?

5. Jean's mother was Cherokee and Navajo. How much do you know about our country's history with regard to Native Americans? Did you know about the Indian Removal Act of 1830? Have you ever visited an Indian reservation? What was the experience like for you?

6. O.T. became disabled because of a stroke. What do you know about this medical condition? Can it change a person's personality?

7. Jean has very specific memories of what she saw, heard, and felt when the nurse told her that her daughter had been visiting O.T. Do you have specific memories of a time when you got shocking news? What do you remember? Did it feel as if time stopped or slowed down?

8. Jean spoke of her daughter and the significance of her name. How did you get your name? Are you named after somebody important? What does your name mean? If you have children, how did you decide on their names?

9. How do you think our society does in dealing with infant death? Have our attitudes changed over the years? If yes, in what ways?

10. O.T. was changed after fighting in World War II. How does war change a person? A marriage? A family? A nation?

11. Jean talks about how she was treated after her husband died. Do you think we treat widows differently than we do other single women? What are the attitudes we have in this society about widows? How about widowers?

12. O.T. had an affair. He fathered a child, though he never knew she existed. Do you think Lilly should have contacted O.T. and Jean, or should she have never made that introduction?

13. Jean is able to forgive O.T. for his infidelity because she has a broad definition of what it means to be "unfaithful." She seems to believe that her emotional absence from the marriage was just as damaging to the relationship as having an affair. What are your thoughts on this? What does it mean to you to be "unfaithful"?

14. If you were Jean, could you have forgiven your husband and accepted his daughter into your life?

15. How do you define redemption? Did it come for Jean? If so, how does Jean find redemption?

Opportunities for Action:

1. Start a library at a local nursing home and every month have your book club donate a favorite book to the library. Be sure to include books that would be supportive and inspirational to families.

2. Contact a local nursing home and see if there is information to help families during the decision-making process of placement. If not, put together a reading list of books that would offer support and encouragement and give this to the nursing home to give out to families during the time of admission.

3. Contact a local hospital and find out ways to assist parents who lose a child. Often the hospital takes pictures of the infant or has special blankets or clothes to give to the bereaved parents. Have your book club donate money for these services.