Book Club Forum #26: Home Front

Book Selection Status:  READ    
Month: April 2012

Genre: Fiction

Book of the Month: Home Front

Author: Kristin Hannah

Question source: N/A

Discussion Questions:

1. Based on your interpretation can you describe the personality traits of each member of the Zarkades family?

2. What did you like most about this book? Was there a specific chapter in this book that peaked your interest? Why?

3. What circumstances aided in the deterioration of Michael and Joleen Zarkades marriage?

4. How would you rate their parenting skills?

5. How did the war affect the Zarkades family and Michael and Joleen's marriage?

6. How did this book affect your view about marriage and family in general?

7. If you were to meet these characters, what advice would you offer them?

8. How do you feel about the conclusion of this story?  

Book Club Forum #25: The Boy In The Suitcase

Book Selection Status:  READ 
Month: March 2012

Genre: Fiction

Book of the Month: The Boy In The Suitcase

Author: Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis

Question source:

Discussion Questions:

 1. How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to

"get into it"? How did you feel reading it—amused, sad, disturbed, confused, bored...?

2. Describe the main characters—their personality traits, motivations, inner qualities. Why do they do what they do? Are their actions justified? Do you admire or disapprove of them? Do they remind you of people you know?

3. Do the main characters change by the end of the book? Do they grow, or come to learn something about themselves and how the world works?

4. Is the plot engaging—does the story interest you? Is this a plot-driven book: a fast-paced page-turner? Or does the story unfold slowly with a focus on character development? Were you surprised by the plot's complications? Or did you find it predictable, even formulaic?

5. Talk about the book's structure. Is it a continuous story...or interlocking short stories? Does the time-line more forward chronologically...or back and forth between past and present? Does the author use a single viewpoint or shifting viewpoints? Why might the author have choosen to tell the story the way he or she did—and what difference does it make in the way you read or understand it?

6. What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? Don't forget to talk about the title, often a clue to a novel's theme.

7. What passages strike you as insightful, even profound? Perhaps a bit of dialog that's funny or poignant...or encapsulates a character? Maybe comments that state the book's thematic concerns?

8. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

9. If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask? Have you read other books by the same author? If so how does this book compare. If not, does this book inspire you to read others?

10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?

Book Club Forum #24: The Bird House

Book Selection Status:  READ

Month: February 2012

Genre: Fiction

Book of the Month: The Bird House

Author: Kelly Simmons

Question source: http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Bird-House/Kelly-Simmons/9781439160930/reading_group_guide 

Discussion Questions: 

1. Ann reveals within the first chapter that her memory is failing. How did this confession affect your reading? Was Ann an unreliable narrator? Explain your answer.

2. Bird houses are a recurring theme throughout the novel—besides the title itself, Ellie chooses bird houses for her "Aspect" school project. Do you think the bird houses hold some sort of symbolism? Why or why not?

3. Throughout the novel, we get bits and pieces of what Ann's husband, Theo, was like. Do you think Ann is fair with his depiction? If the novel had been narrated by Theo, how do you think he would have described himself? How would his perspective differ from Ann's?

4. In the beginning, Ann describes her daughter-in-law, Tinsley, as almost perfect. She even attributes her granddaughter's wonderful demeanor to Tinsley. When do you see Ann's opinion begin to change? Why do you think it changes so drastically? Do you think they will ever completely resolve their differences?

5. Ann thinks the world of Tom and Ellie. In her mind, they can do no wrong. Do you feel the same? Or do you think she is fiercely loyal to them because they are her flesh and blood?

6. Adultery recurs throughout the novel and is also a shared commonality between Ann, her mother, and Tinsley. How do you think this bonds the women together? Does this shared connection help them relate to one another? Or could it also have an opposite effect on their relationships?

7. Ann, her mother, and Tinsley all have completely different personalities and lead completely different lives. What do you think lead each woman to cheat on her partner?

8. There were multiple instances throughout the novel where Ann's daughter, Emma, acts in an odd, and even malicious, manner. Do you think this is a result or an effect of the anger and resentment she feels for losing her daughter at such a young age?

9. Do you blame Ann for her daughter's death? Do you think Ann blames herself? Why do you think she kept this a secret for such a long time?

10. When Ann confronts Tinsley about her affair, she claims to have the best intentions. Do you agree with how Ann handled this discussion? If you were in Ann's position, what would you have done?

11. Ann never gave her father the chance to give his side of the story, and after his death she discovers he was not her biological father. Do you think she should have given him the chance to explain himself? And do you think this was what he was trying to tell her?

12. Ann reveals a great deal about her past, and even present, to Ellie. Do you think this relationship was inappropriate? Why or why not?

13. On page 272, Ann says to Ellie: "'If you ever have to choose between a man who's serious and a man who's fun, choose the fun one. Promise me.'" Do you agree with Ann? Who do you think was the "fun one" and who was the serious one? Theo or Peter?

14. Did you like that the novel was told from only Ann's perspective? Or would you have a more objective, third person narrator?'

Book Club Forum #23: Girl In Translation

Book Selection Status:  READ 

Month: January 2012

Genre: Fiction

Book of the Month: Girl In Translation

Author: Jean Kwok

Question source: http://jeankwok.net/discussion.shtml

Discussion Questions:

1. Throughout Girl in Translation, the author uses creative spelling to show Kimberly’s mis-hearing and misunderstanding of English words. How does the language of the novel evolve as Kimberly grows and matures? Do you see a change in the respective roles that English and Chinese play in the narrative as it progresses?

2. The word translation figures prominently in the title of the novel, and learning to translate between her two languages is key to Kimberly’s ability to thrive in her new life. Does she find herself translating back and forth in anything other than language? Clothing? Priorities? Expectations? Personality or behavior? Can you cite instances where this occurs, and why they are significant to the story as a whole?

3. Kimberly has two love interests in the book. How are the relationships that Matt and Curt offer different? Why do you think she ultimately chooses one boy over the other? What does that choice say about her? Can you see a future for her with the other boy? What would change?

4. In many ways Kimberly takes over the position of head of household after her family moves to New York. Was this change in roles inevitable? How do you imagine Ma feels about it? Embarrassed? Grateful? In which ways does Ma still fulfill the role of mother?

5. Kimberly often refers to her father, and imagines how her life might have been different, easier, if he had lived. Do you think she is right?

6. Kimberly’s friend Annette never seems to grasp the depths of Kimberly’s poverty. What does this say about her? What lesson does this experience teach Kimberly? Is Kimberly right to keep the details of her home life a secret?

7. Kimberly believes that devoting herself to school will allow her to free her family from poverty. Does school always live up to her expectations? Where do you think it fails her? How does it help her succeed? Can you imagine the same character without the academic talent? How would her life be different? What would remain the same? Is Kimberly right to believe that all of her potential lies in her talent for school? Must qualities like ambition, drive, hope, and optimism go hand in hand with book smarts?

8. Think about other immigrant stories. How is Kimberly’s story universal? How is it unique? How does Kimberly’s Chinese-American story compare to other immigrant stories? Would it change if she were from a different country or culture?

9. Kimberly lives in extreme poverty. Was anything about her circumstances surprising to you? How has reading Girl in Translation affected your views of immigration? How can you apply these lessons in your community?

10. The story is set in the 1980s. Do you think immigrant experiences are much different today? What has changed? What has remained the same?

Book Club Forum #22: The Paris Wife

Book Selection Status: READ

Month: December 2011

Genre: Historical Fiction

Book of the Month: The Paris Wife

Author: Paula McLain

Question source: http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/paula_mclain/author/

Discussion Questions:

1. In many ways, Hadley's girlhood in St. Louis was a difficult and repressive experience. How do her early years prepare her to meet and fall in love with Ernest? What does life with Ernest offer her that she hasn't encountered before? What are the risks?

2. Hadley and Ernest don't get a lot of encouragement from their friends and family when they decided to marry. What seems to draw the two together? What are some of the strengths of their initial attraction and partnership? The challenges?

3. The Ernest Hemingway we meet in THE PARIS WIFE—through Hadley's eyes—is in many ways different from the ways we imagine him when faced with the largeness of his later persona. What do you see as his character strengths? Can you see what Hadley saw in him?

4. The Hemingways spontaneously opt for Paris over Rome when the get key advice from Sherwood Anderson. What was life like for them when they first arrived? How did Hadley's initial feelings about Paris differ from Ernest's and why?

5. Throughout THE PARIS WIFE, Hadley refers to herself as "Victorian" as opposed to "modern." What are some of the ways she doesn't feel like she fits into life in bohemian Paris? How does this impact her relationship with Ernest? Her self-esteem? What are some of the ways Hadley's "old-fashioned" quality can be seen as a strength and not a weakness?

6. Hadley and Ernest's marriage survived for many years in Jazz-Age Paris, an environment that had very little patience for monogamy and other traditional values. What in their relationship seems to sustain them? How does their marriage differ from those around them? Pound's and Shakespeare's? Scott and Zelda's?

7. Most of THE PARIS WIFE is written in Hadley's voice, but a few select passages come to us from Ernest's point of view. What impact does getting Ernest's perspective have on our understanding of their marriage? How does it affect your ability to understand him and his motivations in general?

8. What was the role of literary spouses in 1920's Paris? How is Hadley challenged and restricted by her gender? Would those restrictions have changed if she had been an artist and not merely a "wife"?

9. At one point, Ezra Pound warns Hadley that it would be a dire mistake to let parenthood change Ernest. Is there a nugget of truth behind his concern? What are some of the ways Ernest is changed by Bumby's birth? What about Hadley? What does motherhood bring to her life, for better or worse?

10. One of the most wrenching scenes in the book is when Hadley loses a valise containing all of Ernest's work to date. What kind of turning point does this mark for the Hemingway's marriage? Do you think Ernest ever forgives her?

11. When the couple moves to Toronto to have Bumby, Ernest tries his best to stick it out with a regular "nine-to-five" reporter's job, and yet he ultimately finds this impossible. Why is life in Toronto so difficult for Ernest?

12. Why does Hadley agree to go back to Paris earlier than they planned, even though she doesn't know how they'll make it financially? How does she benefit from supporting his decision to make a go at writing only fiction?

13. Hadley and Ernest had similar upbringings in many ways. What are the parallels, and how do these affect the choices Hadley makes as a wife and mother?

14. In THE PARIS WIFE, when Ernest receives his contract for In Our Time, Hadley says, "He would never again be unknown. We would never again be this happy." How did fame affect Ernest and his relationship with Hadley?

15.  The Sun Also Rises is drawn from the Hemingways' real-life experiences with bullfighting in Spain. Ernest and his friends are clearly present in the book, but Hadley is not. Why? In what ways do you think Hadley is instrumental to the book regardless, and to Ernest's career in general?

16. How does the time and place—Paris in the 20's—affect Ernest and Hadley's marriage? What impact does the war, for instance, have on the choices and behavior of the expatriate artists surrounding the Hemingways? Do you see Ernest changing in response to the world around him? How, and how does Hadley feel about those changes?

 17. What was the nature of the relationship between Hadley and Pauline Pfeiffer? Were they legitimately friends? How do you see Pauline taking advantage of her intimate position in the Hemingway's life? Do you think

18. Hadley is naïve for not suspecting Pauline of having designs on Ernest earlier? Why or why not?

19. It seems as if Ernest tries to make his marriage work even after Pauline arrives on the scene. What would Hadley it have cost Hadley to stick it out with Ernest no matter what? Is there a way she could have fought harder for her marriage?

20. In many ways, Hadley is a very different person at the end of the novel than the girl who encounters Ernest by chance at a party. How do you understand her trajectory and transformation? Are there any ways she essentially doesn't change?

21. When Hemingway's biographer Carlos Baker interviewed Hadley Richardson near the end of her life, he expected her to be bitter, and yet she persisted in describing Ernest as a "prince." How can she have continued to love and admire him after the way he hurt her?

22. Ernest Hemingway spent the last months of his life tenderly reliving his first marriage in the pages his memoir, A Moveable Feast. In fact, it was the last thing he wrote before his death. Do you think he realized what he'd truly lost with Hadley?

Book Club Forum #21: Lady Undertaker

Book Selection Status: READ

Month: November 2011
Genre: Fiction
Book of the Month: Lady Undertaker
Author: Lyn Johnson and Lisa Branch-Tucker
Question source: http://www.book-clubs-resource.com/running/discussion-questions.php

Discussion Questions:

1. What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?

2. What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?

3. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?

4. How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?

5. In what ways do the events in the books reveal evidence of the author's world view?

6. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way?

Book Club Forum #20: The Heart Specialist

Book Selection Status:  READ

Month: October 2011
Genre:  Fiction Literature
Book of the Month: The Heart Specialist
Author: Claire Holden Rothman
Question source: http://www.bookmovement.com/app/readingguide/view.php?ratings&readingGuideID=18157

Discussion Questions:

1. One of the central images of the novel is a misshapen, three‐chambered human heart in a laboratory bottle. Human hearts normally have four chambers – two atria and two ventricles – but the Howlett Heart, as it is called in the book, has only one ventricle, which confuses Agnes
White when she discovers it in the McGill museum of pathology. At first she thinks it is reptilian or perhaps amphibian, but eventually she realizes it's human, albeit gravely defective. She publishes an article about it in a scholarly journal, a first step in what will become her celebrated
career in heart medicine. The deformed heart is also the first of a series of clues leading to her missing father, and it figures in her discovery of love at the novel’s end. What does the Howlett Heart evoke for you? What are its functions in the novel?

2. The Heart Specialist tells the story of a young woman trying to enter medicine at a time when
this was nearly impossible. Other characters in the novel are marginalized as well. Agnes’s lab
assistant Jakob Hertzlich is marginalized because of his religion. Her colleague Dugald Rivers is
marginalized due to sexual orientation. These characters are all hurt by a society with overly
rigid definitions of social roles. Which characters in the novel are marginal? Which are
mainstream? What impact does this have on their fates?

3. Vision is a motif in this novel. Agnes White is myopic. George Skerry is constantly removing her
spectacles and rubbing the lenses clean. Honoré Bourret is half‐blind when Agnes finally meets
him at the novel`s end, and shortly after that meeting, Agnes declares, ``I just opened my eyes
for the first time in fifty years. It certainly took me long enough. I had built my life on a dream.``
Discuss vision and its symbolic importance in this book.

4. In section VI of the novel, entitled War, Agnes White laments that she has been forced, due to
her sex, to stay in Montreal, while her male colleagues head off to France to serve in the First
World War. She is deeply jealous of them. After reading letters from Dugald Rivers, however,
her view shifts. ``From that day until I died,`` she declares, ``I would offer up prayers of thanks
for the good fortune of having been born a woman.`` Agnes White has conflicting feelings about
womanhood. Would you characterize her as a feminist?

5. Agnes White pursues a career in medicine in large part as an attempt to enter the world of her
missing father. The father quest is an archetypal story form, found in ancient myth and legend.
In the Greek myths, for instance, Theseus goes in search of his missing father, Aegeus, and in the
process proves himself a hero. Likewise, young Telemachus searches for his missing father
Odysseus, and proves his own courage and worth. Discuss the ways in which The Heart Specialist
is a father quest, with a twist.

6. Love is hard to achieve in this novel filled with hearts. Is there a successful love relationship
here?

7. The Heart Specialist was inspired by one of Canada`s first female physicians, Doctor Maude
Abbott. Does this fact change your approach to the novel? How?

8. The act of story‐telling is important in The Heart Specialist. Twice, Agnes White recounts the
story of her life: the first time to William Howlett in Baltimore, and the second to George Skerry
by the river in Saint Andrew`s East, right at the novel`s end. Why are these two scenes
important in the novel?

9. Compare the two sisters, Laure and Agnes. One picked a more traditional female life, the other
charted new waters. What were their fates? Now add George Skerry into the mix. What kinds of
options for happiness and fulfillment did women have in the society depicted in this novel?

10. This novel opens with death, and death seems to follow Agnes White wherever she goes. In
part, this is because of her profession. But could the death be metaphoric as well as literal?
Must Agnes White die in this novel, to be figuratively reborn?