A Tangle of Knots

How does the traveling salesman’s dialogue about knots in the Prologue set the stage for the rest of the novel? How do his words connect to the story’s title, themes, and overall meaning?

Although Cady is the novel’s protagonist, the story follows several other characters as well, including the Ashers. Select two members of the Asher family. Compare and contrast their personality traits and character arcs. Does their relationship change throughout the novel? If so, how and why? What do these two specific characters add to the novel’s plot and the theme of Family Connections?

How does Graff use the character of Miss Mallory to develop the theme of Family Connections? Consider her Talent, her role in Cady’s life, and the novel's resolution.

Throughout the novel, Graff employs a range of literary devices. How does she utilize techniques like repetition, foreshadowing, and onomatopoeia to add suspense and interest to her mystery novel?

How does the author reveal that the traveling salesman is the personification of fate? How does his association with the color gray enhance his symbolic significance, and how do the salesman’s actions develop the theme of Destiny Versus Chance?

How does the character of Toby develop the theme of Identity and Self-Discovery and the story’s mystery? Consider his past and his Talent in your response.

How do the hybrid flowers symbolize Cady? How does this symbol inform the reader’s understanding of Miss Mallory, and what role do the flowers play in the novel’s resolution?

How does Graff use the motif of Cady’s cakes to develop the theme of Identity and Self-Discovery? How do the cakes illuminate the characterization of the protagonist and the supporting characters? How does Cady’s understanding of her identity change after she loses her Talent for baking cakes?