1. How did Adira’s childhood posing as a boy influence the way she saw the world and herself? How different do you think it would be today for a girl to pose as a boy?
2. What is the importance of “Asking the right question”? How did it change the way Adira saw the world and the choices she made?
3. The desert is a crucible. How did Adira’s experience in the desert change her?
4. Discuss how “angels at the gate” is used as a metaphor for change.
5. The forces of duty, love, and freedom. What were they? How did they create conflict in her and how did she reconcile them?
6. In today’s world/cultures, how are these conflicts and attitudes of people similar to and different from those of the characters in the book (such as Adira’s father, the merchant purchasing salt, the raiders)? Are people really different now versus almost thousands of years ago? How do different societies’ values influence decisions?
7. How did understanding the cultural religious roots of the Canaanites affect your perception of Sodom & Gomorrah?
8. How does the author’s vision of Adira “turning into a pillar of salt” match, differ from, enlarge or coincide with the traditional interpretations or your understanding of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)?
T. K. THORNE 