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Taf by Annie Callan

Summary

It's 1915, and Taf is fleeing an abusive home, terrified that she has accidentally killed her stepbrother. Her escape quickly becomes a quest as she sets out to find her long-missing father. Chance and scraps of memory guide her to Pendleton, Oregon. There she meets a boy who hides her and an old woman with second sight. She also faces hard choices: she can follow the inner voice that urges her onward or accept the love of those who care for her, at the price of her dreams.

Discussion questions

  1. Taf opens with the words to the ballad The Great Silkie of Shule Skerrie. Did you pause to read this before starting the novel? What did you think it meant? Did the meaning change for you after you finished the story?
  2. Why does Taf run away from home? While you were just starting the book, did you think she had killed her brother or did you think there was a chance he was still alive?
  3. How does Alvin help Taf?
  4. What space is Taf filling in Bessie's house? Why can't she stay there?
  5. What is Taf's first impression of Picking Bones? What do you think his opinion is of her?
  6. How do Taf's feelings for PB start to change?
  7. Why do you think Taf smashed the white dish in the cafe? What did it lead to?
  8. Taf is often eager to drink alcohol when it is offerred. Why do you think she does this? Does drinking take away some of her pain?
  9. How does Taf put order into the Hadley household? Has she finally found a job she is good at?
  10. What do you predict for Taf's future?

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