Hearts Unbroken

Readers are privy to the novel’s articles, editorials, and letters to the editor. The rest of the story, however, is told in Louise’s first-person viewpoint. What traits do readers see in Louise from the way she tells the story and her wording/phrasing choices (her character voice)? Compose a list of 3-5 descriptors or traits for Louise as shown in her storytelling voice and find specific examples to support each.

Hearts Unbroken employs the use of chapter titles to ground, introduce, or emphasize the chapter’s events. Choose three chapters in which the title befits events of the chapter particularly well. Discuss the events briefly and offer 2-3 points of support per chapter for the chapter title’s fittingness.

How do mentions of historical events play a role in the novel’s thematic development? Using a few valid historical websites for research on each event, discuss the impact on tone and theme in scenes in which each of the following events is mentioned: September 11, the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building bombing, the Trail of Tears, and the massacre at Wounded Knee.