Part One
1. Describe the setting of the story.
2. Where did Sadao and Hana meet? What were they doing there?
3. Where did Sadao and Hana get married?
4. What was the first thing Sadao and Hana noticed about the man on the beach?
5. Who was he? What had happened to him?
6. What did Hana and Sadao decide to do with the man?
7. How did they intend to explain their decision to the servants?
Part Two
1. How did the servants react to the American’s presence in the house?
2. What was Hana afraid the servants might do?
3. How did Hana explain the fact that Sadao was going to operate on the American?
4. What was Hana’s role during the operation?
5. What did the Japanese newspapers report about the war?
6. What made Hana wonder if the man had been tortured?
7. Was the operation successful? How do you know?
Part Three
1. How did the American react when he awoke? What did Hana say to comfort him?
2. How did the servants explain the fact that Hana and Sadao were hiding the American?
3. What did the gardener think Sadao should have done?
4. What did the servants decide to do?
5. What was Yumi worried about?
6. Who did Sadao type a letter to? Did he send it?
7. What message did the messenger deliver?
Part Four
1. Where did the General study in America?
2. What solution for getting rid of the American did the General suggest?
3. Did the General’s plan work? Explain.
4. What was Sadao’s solution?
Part Five
1. Why had Sadao been called in the night the previous week?
2. What excuse did the General give for forgetting his promise to Sadao?
3. What did Sadao suddenly understand as a result?
4. What did Sadao do that night? What did / didn’t he see?
5. What did Sadao think about as he was looking out to sea?
6. Why had Sadao had a hard time finding a place to live in America?
7. What was Sadao’s last thought as the story ends?