To be discussed on December 2, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her family witnessed a brutal mob murder by a member of the Bovaro family. When her parents agree to testify against the murderer, the whole family is secreted away in the Witness Protection Program. When Melody was a teen-ager, her parents were murdered by a member of the Bovaro crime family and Melody finds herself in the Witness Protection Program by herself. Melody feels like she can’t get close to anyone, so she leads a lonely existence.
Whenever she gets bored with her current situation, she “cries wolf,” and gets a new identity in a new city. She has done just that and is in the hands of the U. S. Marshals when John Bovaro, the son of the Bovaro family crime boss visits her and convinces her to leave with him. The next thing you know, she’s been rescued by the U. S. Marshals. Now, Melody has to make a decision – should she stay with the Marshals and a world she knows, or should she risk everything and go with John Bovaro?
(1) From the first sentence of the story, the narrator asks you to take part in the action. Why do you suppose David Cristofano decided to tell this story in the first person from the point of view of a woman? Who would have more at stake in witness protection, a man, woman, or child?
(2) Early in the novel, Melody appears conflicted in having feelings for both Sean and Jonathan. What is driving her need for affection? When does she realize she has made a decision?
(3) At various points in the novel, the reader is given a glimpse into the previous six identities Melody has had. Which identity acts as a turning point? What event occurred that changed the trajectory of her life?
(4) Though romantically inexperienced, Melody longs to be noticed by both Sean and Jonathan, trying different ways to capture their eyes. In what ways has she felt invisible to men her whole life? How has she overcompensated?
(5) Melody and Sean share a few conversations that expose the failings of WITSEC for both the protectors and the protected. From each of their points of view, how is the system not working? How does it work as intended? How is WITSEC more or less vital to the Justice Department today?
(6) Jonathan tries to distinguish himself from his Mafia ties in several ways. How has he successfully achieved this? In what ways is he a typical Mafioso?
(7) Melody is scarred by the explicit violence she witnesses at age six. Repeatedly, she attempts to rid Jonathan of his reactionary viciousness to seemingly topical problems. Though later in the story, she finds security in his violent behavior. What changes her mind? Would you react the same way? Why or why not?
(8) How do the tangible things in Melody's story-the food, clothes, cars, hotels-reflect her happiness, security and satisfaction? Are these things metaphorical or incidental? Would her story be different if things were reversed? Why or why not?
(9) Being in WITSEC for twenty years has had a negative impact on Melody. In what ways has it made her stronger?
(10) What is the significance of the chapter titles? How do they differ? What is the special significance of the final chapter's title?
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