Walking through Shadows

1. What do you think the author is trying to accomplish by telling the story from five different perspectives? Do you think this goal is achieved? Why do you think these particular points of view were chosen? Is there another character you wish she had chosen, and if so, why?2. Sheila has a significant effect on the lives of nearly every character in the novel and their perceptions of her differ greatly. How would you assess her qualities? Was she strong, wise, simple, or merely pathetic?3. Sheila's optimistic outlook influences nearly everyone around her. Do you know anyone like Sheila who seems to brighten the lives of everyone around them?4. Annette grew up without siblings until Lil' Bit came along, and this is in part why Sheila becomes her best friend. Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so, how do you think your life would have been different if you had been raised as an only child? If you are an only child, how would your life have differed with siblings?5. Do you think Uncle Walter and Gloria should have taken Lil' Bit away from the Cotton family? How could the situation have been handled differently?6. When Rowena is incapacitated after Lil' Bit is taken away, it is Sheila who pulls her out of her depression. Have you ever experienced a similar loss? What, or who helped you recover?7. Why do you think Sheila chose not to tell anyone about Hugh raping her? What do you think would have happened had she told? How do you think the story is changed by the baby being conceived by rape as opposed to by Sheila having an affair with Hugh?8. Lloyd and Rowena have both suffered disappointments in their marriage and yet there seems to be a strong bond between them. How would you characterize their relationship? What roles do Lloyd's affair, Sheila's murder, and Rowena's pregnancy play in their marriage?9. What do you think would have happened if Sheila had lived? Would she and Stoney have raised the baby on their own? Would Hugh have eventually learned that the baby was his?10. The identity of Sheila's murderer isn't revealed until very late in the novel. Were there other characters whom you suspected? If so, why did you suspect them?11. Earlene Barnes feels guilty for not coming forward about Hugh's behavior earlier. Do you think that her information would have changed the situation? In what way? Has there ever been an instance in your life when you felt there would have been a different outcome if you had spoken up about an issue earlier?12. Sheila teaches Annette the trick of walking through her shadow to help overcome her sadness and her fears. Do you have any tricks that help you deal with your emotions when something upsets you?13. What are the "shadows" that each character faces? In what ways do they deal with these shadows differently? What shadows do you face in your own life? How do you handle them?14. To what extent is the story dependent upon the time in which it occurs? Could these events have taken place in today's society? How might they have been different?Marshall, Bev is the author of 'Walking through Shadows', published 2005 under ISBN 9780345483386 and ISBN 0345483383.