Walk Two Moons

On their way to Idaho, Sal and her grandparents often stop to appreciate the wonders of the natural world. Choose two or three places they stop, and discuss the role that these places play in the novel. 

In what ways does Creech foreshadow Sugar’s death? What is the effect of withholding definite knowledge of her death from the novel’s readers?

In the novel’s final chapter, Sal suggests, “[T]here was a third story behind Phoebe’s and [Sal’s] mother’s, and that was about Gram and Gramps” (270). How do Sal and Phoebe’s stories shed light on Gram and Gramps?

How does Sal’s view of Margaret Cadaver evolve over the course of the novel? What causes her to revise her earlier opinions?

Compare and contrast Sugar and Mrs. Winterbottom. How does each woman respond to the challenges of being a wife and mother?

Many characters in the novel have catchphrases or otherwise distinctive patterns of speech (e.g. Phoebe’s “That’s what I’m telling you”; Mrs. Partridge’s “grandiful”; etc.). How does Creech use dialogue to develop the novel’s characters?

Several characters in the novel have unusual names (“Salamanca,” “Cadaver,” etc.). How do these characters’ names relate (or not relate) to the way in which others see them, and to the way in which they see themselves?

What role does Sal’s Native American ancestry play in her sense of her own identity? Why does she prefer the term “Indian,” and how does this reflect the novel’s broader themes or concerns?