by Nicole Baart
I had once believed that Daniel sang preludes in his sleep. Preparatory songs that tuned my heart for praise. I now knew that Grandma sang too, hemming in our days with a doxology that echoed in a round without end.
I could hear her singing over us.
My children, may you grow in grace.
Discussion Questions
1. It has been five years since we last saw Julia in Summer Snow. In what ways has she changed? How has she stayed the same?
2. Although she is only twenty-four years old, Julia is essentially the single mother of two young sons. Do you think she is a good mom? Why or why not?
3. How do you feel about Michael at the beginning of the book? Does your perception of him change as the story unfolds? Do you think he is a good match for Julia?
4. When Parker reenters Julia’s life, it turns her world upside down. Do you think he has a right to intrude after more than five years of silence? Why or why not?
5. Julia’s relationship with Nellie seems to be the cornerstone that holds their unorthodox family together. In what ways has that relationship changed since After the Leaves Fall and Summer Snow? In what ways has it stayed the same?
6. How do you feel about the scrap of paper that Julia finds in her grandmother’s Bible? Do you agree with Nellie’s “life list”?
I don’t want Julia to be happy.
I don’t expect her life to be easy.
I don’t insist that it be painless.
But I do want her to be content.
I want her to love and be loved.
I want her to be holy.
7. On page 243, Julia says, “Our searching souls pursued happy endings. And the heart was capable of great and deceiving beauty.” Do you think she’s right, or is she being too pessimistic?
8. In what ways, subtle and obvious, is Daniel like Parker? In what ways is he like Julia?
9. Why do you think Julia sends Janice postcards when she knows that her estranged mother will never read them?
10. Were you disappointed when Julia broke up with Michael, or do you think she made the right decision?
11. In the final chapter Julia muses, “It all comes down to the same thing: belonging. I think that’s why when God invites us into His family with arms wide open, we aren’t just honorary children. We’re adopted. We belong.” Why do you think it was so important to Simon that he belong? Do you think things will change for him now that he is legally a part of the DeSmit family?
12. How do you feel about the ending of Beneath the Night Tree? Are you satisfied with how Julia’s story has unfolded? Why or why not?
About the Author
Nicole Baart was born and raised in a small town in Iowa. She wrote and published her first complete novel, After the Leaves Fall, while taking a break from teaching to be a full-time mom. Summer Snow and Beneath the Night Tree complete the series. Nicole is also the author of The Moment Between.
The mother of three young sons and the wife of a pastor, Nicole writes when she can: in bed, in the shower, as she is making supper, and occasionally sitting down at her computer. As the adoptive mother of an Ethiopian-born son, she is passionate about global issues and is a founding member of One Body One Hope, a nonprofit organization that works with an orphanage in Monrovia, Liberia. Nicole and her family live in Iowa.
