My Father's Daughter (Syverson) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
1. As the reader sits alongside our author on the cross-Atlantic flight to Rome, what emotions are evident? What does this adventure of a lifetime potentially entail?

2. Some of Gilda's strengths as well as her challenges came from a more traditional Italian-Catholic upbringing. Were you raised in a culture that did not always fit the new beliefs that you discovered on your life's path?

3. When Gilda sits in St. Peter's piazza, she has glimpses of appreciation for her religious upbringing, despite her feminist leanings. Are there aspects of your spiritual upbringing, or lack of one, that give you strength despite the differences you may now have as an adult?

4. For years, our author had asked her father to travel to his hometown roots, in Sicily. Has there been any country or part of the world associated with your own heritage that you've had a desire to visit? Is there anything about your past that you would like to discover?

5. A psychic once told Gilda that, in a past life, she lived as an ancient, aristocratic woman in Rome. Is there a city, country or certain area of the world that you have a yearning to visit, even if you have no idea what is calling you there?

6. On the train from Rome to Sicily, Gilda, her parents, and her husband find themselves in a compartment with a German couple. Watching them, Gilda feels that there are cultural differences. Have there been times in your life where you have encountered someone speaking another language or participating in a tradition foreign to you? How did it make you feel? How did you respond?

7. On the ferry from the mainland of Italy over to Messina, Sicily, Gilda is aware of a quiet that overcomes both her parents—especially her father, when he sees his homeland again after 30 years. Is this silence in any way an indication of what may lie ahead as they step onto the island of Sicily? What kind of mood do you find yourself in when you're about to step into a new place, or step back to an old one?

8. When all four travelers arrive in the small town of Gualtieri Sicaminò, the cousins—who haven't seen Gilda's father in decades—receive them with open arms. How do we, as a culture, receive unexpected guests that knock at our doors? Have you ever shown up at someone's door and realized, Uh-oh, I should have called first?

9. When Gilda's father says good-bye to his cousins, Pasqua and then Pasqualino—probably for the last time—the feelings expressed by those present run a gamut of emotions. What is it like for you to say goodbye to a close friend or relative, a child who is leaving home for the first time, or a parent or partner who is dying?

10. When our travelers leave Linguaglossa, Gilda's mother mentions that there were still things that she wished she could have seen or found. Are there questions that Gilda's mother had that you still want to know about? If you are a mother or grandmother, what wisdom do you want to impart?

11. Both Gilda's parents had a chance to say farewell to their regions—her mother, when standing in the ancient ruins of Taormina, and her father, when on the ferryboat from Messina back to the mainland. This pivotal scene provides the backdrop for us to ponder our family roots and travel adventures. Share any thoughts that surface from reading about this experience.

12. Back in Rome, Gilda's father wanted to see the balcony where Mussolini, while still in power during World War II, addressed Italy. Are there any historical figures—positive or negative—you would like to meet or see in action?

13. How do you think Gilda and her father's relationship changed over the course of the trip, from the United States through Rome, Italy, Sicily and back home?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

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