2. What secrets do Tala and Manolo keep from one another? Why? How do these withholdings impact your impression of their love?
3. What does the box represent?
4. There are many variations of truth in this story. What do you feel is real versus imagined regarding: Tala’s past, the seven sisters, Luchie’s vision in the marketplace, Manolo’s memories, Tala and Manolo’s meeting, Iolana’s memories, other visions or plot points?
5. How do you compare the grandparents’ love story with Tala and Manolo’s? What does the grandparents’ story reveal about marriage and myths?
6. In literature, a doppelganger is a mirror image of a character, who is not known to a character but can be perceived as that character’s shadow or evil counterpart. Did you sense a doppelganger in this story?
7. How does Baitan influence the decisions Tala makes? How do you think the story would change without him?
8. Malaya begins and ends the story in her own voice. Why do you think the author chose this framework? How does Malaya’s perspective influence your interpretation of her parents’ lives?
The Hour of Daydreams Page 22