WHILE WE’RE FAR APART
1) Which character did you identify with the most? Why?
2) How were the concerns for family different for each of the characters: Penny Goodrich? Esther and Peter Shaffer? Jacob Mendel? Avraham and Sarah Rivkah?
3) In what ways did various characters find their family or become part of a new “family”?
4) What similarities were portrayed between the Jewish and Christian faiths? What differences were obvious? Did your view of Judaism change in any way?
5) How did Penny’s view of love change throughout the story? What contributed to that change?
6) Compare the way Penny’s parents raised her with the way that the Shaffers raised Esther and Peter.
7) Why do you think Esther was drawn to the neighbor boy, Jacky Hoffman? What drew Penny to Eddie Shaffer? Why do you think Penny and Roy Fuller became such good friends?
8) How was the theme of silence developed throughout the story? How was the theme of waiting developed? The dilemma of unanswered prayer?
9) What importance did letter-writing play in the story?
10) Did you pick up on any clues that Rachel Shaffer was Jewish? Any clues about the identity of Penny’s real mother?
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