At the beginning of the novel, readers learn that Livy’s grandmother lives in Australia, but Livy and her parents live in Massachusetts. Gran lives on a farm in a small town, unlike, the novel suggests, the kind of place Livy is used to. Consider how the setting is important to the novel’s plot and its conflict. In what way would the events of the novel likely differ if they were to take place in Livy’s hometown?

Remembering and Forgetting is a key theme in the novel. Both Livy and Bob strive to remember important details and facts at various points in the story. Are there occasions, however, where forgetting may be preferable to remembering? Why or why not? What are these instances?

Not only does Livy forget Bob when she is away from him unless she is holding the black pawn, but Bob also forgets his family, where he is from, and who he is once he has traveled away from the well. Livy hypothesizes that this forgetting may be “part of how [Bob’s] magic protects [him]” (175). What might she mean by this? Hypothesize as to the reason both Livy and Bob forget one another when they are apart.