1. To punish Lord Thomas for the beating he gives her, Anne and her grandmother send him a length of silk that has been rubbed over their dead cow. Were Gran and Anne justified in sending it, thinking that it could harm Lord Thomas?

2. Anne is born with a harelip. How important is it in the development of her personality? Does the harelip influence the outcome of the story in any way?

3. Consider Lord Thomas's death.

Does he die as a result of the curse? Of contact with the contaminated cloth?

Or is his death entirely coincidental to Anne's curse and punishment?

4. Much is said in the book about marriage: Emma and Tom wed; Anne needs a husband; Jem needs a wife; Gilly and Anne vow never to marry.

What does the book suggest are typical ways of obtaining a husband or wife?

5. When Anne...