Future Home of the Living God

Cedar claims that she is writing the diary for her unborn child. What other motivations might she have for writing down every detail of her life?

How is the theme of motherhood explored in the novel? Which characters present contrasting possibilities of what it means to be a mother?

The novel depicts two disenfranchised groups: women and Native Americans. What parallels does Erdrich draw between these groups?

How does Cedar’s relationship with Sera change after she learns that Glen is her biological father?

In what ways do the experiences of the Native Americans in the past help Eddy and his community in the present?

The developing apocalypse is the entire occasion for Cedar’s diary keeping, yet there is a surprising lack of detail about the crisis, and the biological and political factors are only vaguely hinted at. Why might Erdrich have chosen this vagueness? Does it serve a purpose?

Discuss the significance of the novel’s title, Future Home of the Living God. Is its meaning really limited to the words’ brief appearance on a sign in a barren field?

The social apocalypse slowly unfurls in the background of the novel. Is the end of the world treated as a mundane event?