1. Why does Jaime feel as though part of her has died each time she makes changes in an evil mind?

2. "Dried blood and rose petals./Bird bones and wood ash./It's all just metaphor for spirit—that's what Annie would say." What are these images metaphors for?

3. Why does Jaime kill Grant Newman? Why does Jaime think that killing him did more harm than good? Why would this be an important insight for her?

4. Jaime says the "war" of child abuse is "Fought not just physical, but in the soul as well." How well does "Bird Bones and Wood Ash" illustrate how the war is fought in the soul?

5. When Alice's daughter drives Jaime back to the city, Jaime says that her trip to the country was worthwhile because "I brought away some human contact." What does she mean? Why was the human...