How does the diary format affect the development of the novel? Is Miranda a reliable narrator? How aware is she of an audience beyond herself? Does this awareness change as the narrative progresses? Why or why not?

Describe Miranda’s journey toward adulthood. How does her growing maturity affect her relationships with her parents, her siblings, and/or Alex?

How does the extended family deal with scarcity? What compromises do they make to ensure their own group’s survival? How do they justify these choices? How do individual characters reconcile themselves to moral compromise?