Julie Jones left her husband in an effort to find herself and her own independence. Do you think she was naive to believe she could be on her own after so many years living in an unhealthy relationship? As she ran away from Roger, Julie ran home to herself. How do you feel about her choice to keep her Jewish heritage a secret from her daughter, Jess? How did you feel about Jess' resistance to move into the new house on Cherry Hill Lane? What do you think this says about Jess’ struggle with entitlement and what does Cherry Hill Lane represent for Julie? Tom Dean has a bitter hatred for his father and turns to dangerous hate groups for validation. When did you begin to realize Tom might be planning to do something terrible to Pastor Doug and his followers? Julie and Sandi each lost themselves in a marriage that denied them their own dignity and self-respect. As mothers, how does this difficult decision to leave an abusive situation affect their children and do you think the kids are better off? For Julie and Sandi, staying in loveless marriages where they were treated as objects to be admired, made each woman feel like less than a person. Do you think the risk of staying outweighed the risk of leaving, for each woman, especially when it came to their children? Why or why not? How did you feel about Jess’ decision to get close to Tom? Was she right to put herself at risk in an effort to help others? Pastor Doug treated others poorly to soothe his own fractured ego. How does this belief system end up impacting Oceanside as they are forced to reckon with a threat of rising hate groups in their own community? The threat of hate groups like neo-fascism threaten the safety of communities all over the world. What statement do you think the author is making when Jess Jones gets caught up in neo-natzism even though her ancestors are Jewish? Why do you think the adults let Tom stay in the backhouse and what does this say about society’s common desire to avoid conflict, specifically when doing nothing jeopardizes the safety of others?

Somebody’s Home | Kaira Rouda

Julie Jones left her husband in an effort to find herself and her own independence. Do you think she was naive to believe she could be on her own after so many years living in an unhealthy relationship?
As she ran away from Roger, Julie ran home to herself. How do you feel about her choice to keep her Jewish heritage a secret from her daughter, Jess?
How did you feel about Jess’ resistance to move into the new house on Cherry Hill Lane? What do you think this says about Jess’ struggle with entitlement and what does Cherry Hill Lane represent for Julie?
Tom Dean has a bitter hatred for his father and turns to dangerous hate groups for validation. When did you begin to realize Tom might be planning to do something terrible to Pastor Doug and his followers?
Julie and Sandi each lost themselves in a marriage that denied them their own dignity and self-respect. As mothers, how does this difficult decision to leave an abusive situation affect their children and do you think the kids are better off?
For Julie and Sandi, staying in loveless marriages where they were treated as objects to be admired, made each woman feel like less than a person. Do you think the risk of staying outweighed the risk of leaving, for each woman, especially when it came to their children? Why or why not?
How did you feel about Jess’ decision to get close to Tom? Was she right to put herself at risk in an effort to help others?
Pastor Doug treated others poorly to soothe his own fractured ego. How does this belief system end up impacting Oceanside as they are forced to reckon with a threat of rising hate groups in their own community?
The threat of hate groups like neo-fascism threaten the safety of communities all over the world. What statement do you think the author is making when Jess Jones gets caught up in neo-natzism even though her ancestors are Jewish?
Why do you think the adults let Tom stay in the backhouse and what does this say about society’s common desire to avoid conflict, specifically when doing nothing jeopardizes the safety of others?