As if even hearing about a kid around your age getting shot by the police weren't scary enough, in hush Toswiah/Evie has to deal with the fact that her dad saw it happen, she knows the cops who did it, and now people are firing shots into her house to intimidate her dad away from testifying. Yeah, there's a lot to fear here.
Toswiah/Evie's family has to relocate out of fear for their lives, but relocation brings its own fears—like the fear of losing everything that makes you who you are. Moving is scary enough in its own right, after all, without adding in a whole new identity on top of it.
Questions About Fear
- Toswiah/Evie says several times that she wants to be brave, but she's not and never has been. Do you agree with her?
- For you, what would be the scariest part of Toswiah/Evie's experience, the threat to your life or the threat to your identity?
- What is Daddy afraid of? What about Mama and Cameron/Anna? How do they cope with their fears?
- Who is the bravest member of the family, in your opinion?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Toswiah is wrong when she declares that she is not brave.
All of the family members fear losing their identities more than leaving Denver.