When the Stars Go Dark

Research the Rainer Maria Rilke poem “I Am Much Too Alone in the World.” How does the poem’s thematic argument apply to Cameron? Anna believes what a person reads gives insight into their character. Why does Cameron not copy the poem’s closing lines?

Investigate the role of psychics in cases involving missing children. What is the science behind the mysticism, visions, and dreams typical of psychics? How does Tally Hollander emerge as a heroic element in the novel?

The emotional trauma that triggers Anna Hart’s flight from her home is the death of her daughter. Is Anna justified in the guilt she carries? How do you read Tally Hollander’s advice in Chapter 68? Why does the first-person narrator not reveal this event until the end of the novel?

Explain Anna’s theory of the “bat signal” (126) and how that theory applies to the dynamic between “victim” and “predator” in criminal acts. Does her theory encourage sympathy for Caleb? How does her theory explain her own commitment to criminal cases involving missing, abused, and murdered kids?

Research the story and history of Time and the Maiden in Mendocino. How does the statue speak to Anna at the beginning and then again at the end? Why does Caleb, the serial killer, appear obsessed with the same figures? How is her interpretation of the statue affected by her experience in Mendocino?

One of the most intriguing mysteries in the novel is the death of Hap Strater. For young Anna, he embodies the spirit of survival, of grace under pressure. As a forest ranger, he epitomizes the strength and courage to engage a world that cannot be controlled. What do you make of his disappearance after his wife’s death and Anna leaves for college? How might this reflect on the theme of grief and The Need for Others?

Examine this quote: “I don’t believe forgiveness is something we have to kill ourselves trying to earn. It’s already here, all around us, like rain. We just have to let it in” (293). Using Tally’s observation, explore how the novel, for all the criminal investigations, is centrally about Anna Hart forgiving herself.

Why do you think the author introduced the real story of Polly Klaas? It is certainly a risk as it violates the conventional contract of fiction. Research the story of Polly Klaas and then argue what the novel gains—or loses—by introducing that nonfiction subplot.