Lady and the Panda (Croke)

Discussion Questions
1. It's impossible to know what makes each of us who we are, but what elements of Ruth Harkness's life do you think help explain how she became such a courageous, if unlikely explorer?

2. Who and what were the greatest loves of Ruth Harkness's life?

3. Does any of the Chinese history from that period have a bearing on what we read about the country today?

4. How about the giant panda? What are the things Ruth seemed to know intuitively that took the conservation world decades to realize?

5. What about Ruth's notions of destiny? Do you believe we each are guided by a pre-ordained fate? Mull over the "what ifs" — what if Bill had brought Ruth with him to China in 1934? What if Ruth had stuck with the original plan and had made Floyd Tangier Smith and Gerry Russell her expedition partners?

6. What if she and Quentin Young had come back to the US together? What if she had stayed in China after her third expedition?

7. Ruth is both an inspiration and cautionary tale in one. Has her life made you examine your own? Has her courage and determination made you think about pursuing your own dreams?
(Questions from author's website.)

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