The Saints of Swallow Hill

What is your view of Rae Lynn and Warren’s marriage? Do you think it was a marriage of convenience, or love, or do you think it transformed over time?

When Del meets Elijah Sweeney, a.k.a. Crow, he senses the man is trouble and is immediately on guard. Have you ever met anyone who gave you the same sense? Did your instincts prove you right?

Swallow Hill is filled with dangers, not only from an environmental perspective, but with regard to some of the practices. How did the setting of the labor camp impact the story for you?

Keeping in mind the time frame, and the need for people to be very self-sufficient, especially in remote areas, would/could you have done what Rae Lynn did for Warren after his accident?

A method of solitary confinement, known as a sweat box, is used in this story. How did it make you feel reading about the experiences of individuals placed inside them?

Crow shares his appreciation for the trees and doesn’t want to see them ruined unnecessarily. Del admires this. Did Crow’s view of nature change your perspective of him? How did you feel when you learned what happened to him?

Rae Lynn and Cornelia are both strong and brave women in their own way. What do you think was Rae Lynn’s strongest, bravest act? What about Cornelia’s?

Both Del and Rae Lynn must confront their past in order to move forward. Are you aware of something from your own past that has held you back?

What does the title mean to you?