Maybe A Miracle Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of Maybe A Miracle.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Why do you think the author chose the quote from Albert Einstein to serve as the epigraph for Maybe a Miracle, and how does it apply to the main characters of the novel? Do you agree with Einstein's contention?
   
   
2. Beginning with its title, the novel raises questions about the existence and nature of miracles. According to Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, the word can refer to "an extraordinary event taken to manifest the supernatural power of God fulfilling his purposes," "an event or effect in the physical world deviating from the laws of nature," and "an accomplishment or occurrence so outstanding or unusual as to seem beyond human capability or endeavor." Which of these definitions do you think applies best to the events of Maybe a Miracle, and why?
   
   
3. Virtually every occurrence surrounding Annika that is labeled miraculous by various characters has a scientific explanation offered as well, from the rose-petal shower to the stigmata. Does the existence of a scientific, rational explanation preclude the miraculous? If not, how do you decide which standards to apply and which to reject in evaluating a possible miracle?
   
   

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Ballantine Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.