1. At the beginning of the story, Elizabeth worries that her passion for gymnastics is waning. What factors contribute to her changed feelings toward a sport she has always loved?
  2. Why does Zach tell Elizabeth that to time travel, she will need to vault? What role does vaulting play in her journey?
  3. How does Elizabeth’s impulsive behavior get her into trouble, and how does she change and grow in the course of the story?
  4. Why does Abby finally resign herself to leaving behind her previous life, even though it means the devastating loss of her daughter?
  5. What does Elizabeth realize about the factors that led to the intergenerational abandonment that haunts her birth family? How do her revelations shed light on the complications of relinquishment and adoption in the real world?
  6. How does the process of time traveling allow Elizabeth to observe and comment on the roles of women and girls in the past? What does she note about the way the sport of gymnastics has changed?
  7. What are Elizabeth’s initial impressions of Mrs. Grundy, and how do they change throughout the story?
  8. How does time travel ultimately shape Elizabeth’s vision of her life?

An adoptive parent and former longtime gymnastics mom, Nancy McCabe is the author of six books for adults and has published articles in Newsweek, Salon, Writer’s Digest, The Brevity Blog, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among many others. She’s a Pushcart winner and her work has been recognized nine times on Best American Notable Lists. She directs the writing program at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and teaches in the graduate program at the Naslund-Mann School of Writing at Spalding University.

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