1.  “Hannah found herself warming to Tony’s idealism. Part Don Quixote, part Don Corleone.” [p. 51] When you were first introduced to Tony Soto, which “Don” did you compare him with? Did your impression of him change at the end?

2. On Hannah and Tony’s first “date” in the casino, she begins to wonder, “Perhaps it wasn’t Tony who was running hot and cold—maybe it was her.” [p. 80] Who do you think is responsible for the flirting? Tony? Hannah? Or does it take two to tango? Does their rapport change from their first meeting in the rock climbing park to their last at the El Mercado?

3. As much as Hannah does not want to be like Elizabeth, she is extremely intrigued by Tony.

(a)   How important is one's personal history in explaining, shaping, and even excusing one’s current actions?

(b)   Although Hannah is consumed with investigating the genetics potentially passed down to her, is it possible that she inherited her mother’s personality without having ever known her?

4. Which character would you like to take out to dinner and why?

5. How would Hannah’s life have been different had Elizabeth lived? What would her relationship with Richard and Shelby be like? Do you think she would have taken on the task of trying to track down her birth father?

6. On p. 57, Hannah hops into her Subaru and pops in a CD as she run some errands. What CD do you think Hannah is listening to?

7. “Suerte o Muerte”—Luck or Death—appears numerous times throughout the book. Did Hannah get luck, and Tony death? Or were their own actions responsible for their fates?

8. One of the themes running throughout Spurred Ambition is gambling. Aside from those patronizing the casino, who else gambles in the book? Does they hit the jackpot?

9. As they prepare to meet with Pena & Moreno, [p.90] Tony talks to Hannah about the struggle by Hispanics and Native-Americans to break free from the barrio and to step up to “the white man’s tempo.” Tony adds, “If you stay here, it’s because you like the pace or don’t want to think past the short term.”

(a)   Considering today’s social reality, why do you think people have to “struggle” to get out of the barrio? Is it a personal choice to stay, or are there deeper social factors that affect their decision? In forming your answer, think of Tony’s grandmother and her decision to not move into the tribe’s housing development. [p. 108]

(b)   Contrasting views of race and identity become apparent in Spurred Ambition, between those who want to keep their identity and those who want to lose it. What is their importance of the following to the plot?

i.      Tony’s half-Mexican/half-Indian heritage

ii.      Moreno’s shame of his Hispanic ethnicity

iii.     Pena’s pride in his Hispanic ethnicity

iv.     Hannah’s discovery of her biracial heritage

10. Cooper, looking out for Hannah’s best interests, tells her to back off from Tony’s situation. Hannah promises him that she will, once she turns in the notebook. [p. 157] Do you think this was an empty promise, or do you believe Hannah?

11. Do you think Richard was keeping secrets to protect himself or to protect Hannah? What were his true intentions?

12. Throughout the book, Hannah is on a quest to find the identity if her true father.

(a)   Is it really her father Hannah is looking for? Or just a father figure? Do Richard, Cooper, or
Tony fill this role? Does she really think an unknown stranger can give her what she is looking for?

(b)   What are the physical and personal risks Hannah takes in trying to trace her past? Should
she be focused more on the future, or does she need to reconcile her history before she
can move on?

13. What, if any exists, is the symbolism behind Hannah learning her father’s name is Othello?

14. In Family Claims, Hannah was consumed with cycling. In Spurred Ambition, she takes on the sport of rock climbing. Discuss the symbolism behind this. What metaphoric role does rock climbing play in the life of Hannah Dain? What is she climbing? What “summit” is she aiming for? Will she reach it?

15. Twist Phelan ends Spurred Ambition with a cliffhanger (no pun intended). Hannah spends most of the book trying to discover her past, but how does her future look? Will she accept the position with Richard at Dain & Daughters? Will she meet Anuja? Will Cooper come back into the picture?