Essay Questions

What is "Star Walk" and who uses it?

Star Walk is an iPad app for astronomy. Waldo is obsessed with the app which can do such things as recreate the exact alignment of the stars at the exact moment of one's birth. Waldo is friendless, one of those kids described as "different." His father is upset that he is so obsessed with Star Walk because the obsession is to the detriment of Waldo's doing everything else that would make him "normal" in his father's eyes. Waldo's obsession with the program—and with astronomy in general—will come to play a major part in the narrative which ultimately allows the doctor/neighbor who delivered him at his birth to finally connect with him more than a decade later.

Why is Misty Zimmerman a major character despite not saying a single word and appearing only infrequently in the story?

Misty is a teenage girl who first makes her appearance in the story in the opening paragraph. From there through to the end of that first chapter, she is front and center. Misty is the unfortunate victim of a series of really bad decisions made by members of the Wilf family. By the middle of that opening chapter, she is already dead, but she will never be gone. Her presence lingers over the entire narrative like a ghost. Indeed, she will even re-enter the story as a ghostly onlooker. The means of her demise will be the engine that fuels the narrative drive.

What is the line of connection between Ben and Waldo that ultimately centers the novel's theme?

The novel relentlessly pursues the theme of connectivity. This theme is explored through characters as well as symbols ranging from the roots of an oak tree to superclusters of galaxies. Dr. Ben Wilf is fortunately in the right place at the right time to save Waldo's life during his delivery. The umbilical cord which threatened the infant's life also becomes a symbol of connectivity. Although they actually spend very little time together over the next ten years, that cord seems to bond them to each other outside the womb. Ultimately, the connection will come full circle as the baby Dr. Wilf saves ultimately grows up to become Dr. Waldo Shenkman.