Rescuing Patty Hearst Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

1. What kind of impact do parents have on their children? Do you agree with the notion that the same sex parent of a child has a deeper impact? At what age are children most malleable in terms of the role-modeling of parents? How do these ideas pertain to the characters in the book?
   
   
2. Do you think the main character will be able to grow into the woman she would want to be? How might the experiences with her mother affect her future relationships with both men and women?
   
   
3. What is the message in the book concerning mental illness? Do you believe certain illnesses can be cured, or primarily managed? Have you had any close family members or friends affected by mental illness? If so, how has this touched your own life?
   
   

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