Finding Casey
by Jo-Ann Mapson
These discussion questions are designed to enhance your group’s conversation about
Finding Casey, a novel about a modern New Mexican family and their mysterious
connection to a woman and her ill child.
About this book
A ghost, a birthday gift, and an ailing child are parts to a puzzle that will change the lives
of one New Mexico family forever—from the bestselling author of Solomon’s
Oak. Glory Vigil, newly married and unexpectedly pregnant at forty-one, is nesting in the
home she and her husband Joseph have just moved to in Santa Fe, a house that unknown
to them is rumored to have a resident ghost. Their adopted daughter, Juniper, is home
from college for Thanksgiving and in love for the very first time, quickly learning how a
relationship changes everything. But Juniper has a tiny arrow lodged in her heart, a
leftover sherd from the day eight years earlier when her sister Casey disappeared, in a
time before she’d ever met Glory and Joseph. When a fieldwork course takes Juniper to a
pueblo only a few hours away, she finds herself right back in the past she thought she’d
finally buried. A love story, a family story, a story of searching and the bond between
sisters, Finding Casey is a testament to human resilience.
For discussion
1. The idea of “heritage” and family life plays a central role in the book. Discuss how
characters’ spiritual, ancestral, and biological histories shape their identities and personal
perspectives.
2. What do you believe is the significance, if any, of Glory’s finding out about her
pregnancy immediately after Juniper buys the pot?
3. What is your opinion of Laurel when she’s first introduced in chapter 4? When she
arrives at the hospital initially, do you empathize with her? Does your opinion of her
change as you learn more about her story?
4. What do you believe is the significance of Laurel breaking up words into their smaller
components?
5. Discuss the several minor connections between Laurel and Juniper mentioned
throughout the book.
6. Animals are used as a motif throughout the novel. Discuss the role of various animals
and pets as foils to the human characters.
7. Juniper and Laurel both have periods in their lives they refer to as “Before.” Talk about
their experiences and memories and discuss the similarities and differences between their
life paths post-“Before.”
8. Discuss the differences between Topher and Chico and Juniper’s relationship with
each.
9. Why do you think the Vigil family reacts so casually to having a ghost in their home?
Would you be able to share a home with what you believed was a ghost?
10. What role does Dolores the ghost play in the story? Do you believe she is pivotal in
setting off the chain of events that leads to the novel’s conclusion?
11. On page 302, Dolores’s name is tied to “Our Lady of the Sorrows.” Do you think the
ghost lives up to this name, or do you think she has a more positive influence on the Vigil
family?
12. Do you think there is a connection between Aspen and Dolores? If so, what is it?
Why do you believe Aspen can hear Dolores communicating with her at the house?
13. What do you believe Laurel’s life will look like going forward?
14. Did you like the ending of the book or did you feel that some things were left
unresolved?
15. Were you surprised at the connection between Juniper and Laurel?
Suggested reading
Solomon’s Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson
Jo-Ann Mapson is the author of ten previous novels, including Solomon’s Oak, winner
of the American Library Association’s 2011 RUSA Award for Women’s Fiction; Hank &
Chloe; Blue Rodeo (also a CBS TV movie); the Los Angeles Times bestsellers The Wilder
Sisters and Bad Girl Creek; The Owl & Moon Café; Goodbye Earl; Along Came Mary;
Loving Chloe; and Shadow Ranch, and the story collection Fault Line. She lives in Santa
Fe, New Mexico, with her husband and their dogs.