What is the main narrative structure of the novel?
Which historical institution is central to the plot of the novel?
What is Avery Stafford's profession in the present day?
What name was Rill Foss given after being taken to the orphanage?
Why were the Foss children initially taken from their parents?
What does May Crandall (Rill)keep that helps connect the past and the present storylines?
What type of boat did the Foss family live on?
How does Avery discover her connection to May Crandall?
What happens to Camellia, one of Rill's sisters?
What motivates Avery to investigate her family's past?