Writing Prompts: The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

Below are some prompts for the reading from The Girl Who Fell From the Sky for this week:

1. Describe the character of Jamie. Why does he change his name to Brick? Why is he fascinated with birds and with the family that fell from the roof (Rachel's family)? Why might Durrow have chosen to tell portions of the story from his perspective? In what ways is he similar to Rachel?

2. What does Rachel mean when she says that she has "middle layers"? How does this relate to her being the "new girl" and her newly realized biracial identity? Does everyone have middle layers, or just Rachel?

3. How does Aunt Loretta change when she views the frozen waterfall? Why does she begin painting again? What is the significance of the accident she suffers?

4. Discuss the chapters told from Roger's perspective. Describe his relationship with Nella. How might the revelation of Charles's death relate to the events occurring in the present of the novel? Why might it be that Roger has been absent from Rachel's life?

5. The Bellwhether Prize, which The Girl Who Fell From the Sky won in 2008, is awarded to works of fiction dealing with issues of social justice. Discuss the major issues represented within the novel. What are some of the central issues that Rachel as well as the other characters face?

Happy Blogging!

--Jeff