In both the opening and final chapters of Prodigal Summer, the author includes the statement that “solitude is only a human presumption” (1). Why does the author choose to frame her novel with this idea? How does the reader’s understanding of this statement develop and shift while reading the novel?

When Deanna Wolfe first meets Eddie Bondo, she thinks of him as her “prey,” but then considers that “predator was a strong presumption” (5). Describe how the pair’s predator-prey relationship progresses throughout the novel. When does Deanna act as the predator, and when does Eddie do so? How does their relationship reflect the novel’s larger themes and concerns?

In the opening of Prodigal Summer, Lusa Landowski regrets both her choice to marry Cole Widener and her new life on the Widener farm. How does Lusa’s viewpoint change as the novel progresses? How does Lusa’s approach to farm life compare to that of other characters in the novel?