In the final section of the Epilogue, Cassie reveals that the only person she has not forgiven is Heath Thompson. Why is this significant in a novel that otherwise promotes forgiveness and when Cassie has forgiven even DeStasio?

When Cassie first arrives in Rockport, she is unnerved by the town’s charm. How does this initial description of the town influence or reflect her relationship with Diana?

Cassie’s fire department in Austin is far more socially progressive than her department just outside of Boston. Based on evidence in the novel, how did it come to be this way? Is there evidence that the Lillian fire department may go through a similar process of cultural change?