St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves

Since most of the narrators are children, how reliable do you think they are as narrators? Provide examples from several stories that hint at an unreliable narrator. Does the idea of an unreliable narrator change how you read these stories?

Sawtooth’s story “Out to Sea” is the only one that features an adult as the protagonist. Nevertheless, what does Sawtooth have in common with the other protagonists? What connection do you think the author is drawing between childhood and being elderly?

Many of these stories have a connection to the ocean. Detail some of the ocean scenes. What do you think this connection symbolizes with each appearance?

Explore the magical realism elements to these stories. How does it enhance the narratives? Would the author be able to achieve the same results if the stories were strictly realistic?

What role does fear play in these stories? Provide narrative examples.

Several stories feature themes of colonialism (“St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves,” “from Children’s Reminiscences of the Westward Migration,” “Accident Brief, Occurrence # 00/422,” etc.). How does this relate to the other broad themes of the stories?

“St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” is the last story in the collection, but it was used for the title of the book. Why do you think this is? How does it encapsulate the many themes in the overall narrative?

Most of these stories connect to one another through the island and shared characters. Can you put together a timeline of events for the island? What does this order of events tell you about the overall themes of the stories?