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In the Amazon, Ricardo tells Birgit and Karen that while ecology is important, there are also hungry people to feed. Later, he gets angry because foreigners want to tell the Brazilian government how to run their country. What’s your take on this issue?
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8
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34
|
July 10, 2026
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Nine main characters are each given a chapter in the book. Whose story did you find the most compelling?
|
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9
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47
|
July 10, 2026
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To what do you think the title, The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down, refers to, now that you’ve read the book?
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8
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35
|
July 10, 2026
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Did you feel any of the main characters were evil, or did you mostly feel they were well-meaning?
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12
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57
|
July 10, 2026
|
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Mary often tells Chrissie that she’s her best friend. Do you think this was true? What was your opinion about their relationship?
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13
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68
|
July 10, 2026
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What is your experience with homemade clothes? Have you ever sewn your own styles, or used a pattern (Butterick or some other brand)?
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25
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154
|
July 10, 2026
|
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Overall, what did you think of Chelsea Girls? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
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24
|
131
|
July 10, 2026
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When Lucy receives Horace’s mysterious invitation to the Cloak and Dagger Club, she decides to go, despite knowing Frank would be there. If you were in her shoes, would you have made the same choice?
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10
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27
|
July 9, 2026
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Have you ever been a member of a writer’s group, and if so, in what ways did it resemble The Cloak and Dagger Club? If you were a writer, would you join such a group?
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8
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28
|
July 9, 2026
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The Cloak and Dagger Club is a fair-play, Golden Age-style mystery, which gives readers the clues they need to solve the crime. What reveals surprised you, & which did you guess correctly? Did you pick up on any pivotal clues? How about red herrings?
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5
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17
|
July 9, 2026
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The Cloak and Dagger Club references many Golden Age crime authors and classic mysteries. Have you read any mystery novels from this period? Did you notice any parallels?
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7
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24
|
July 9, 2026
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Payne Tool & Die is told they’ll have to outsource to China, but the family patriarch wants to sell their personal property to keep the company afloat. He’s outvoted, but had his strategy prevailed, do you think he could have saved the company?
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8
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26
|
July 9, 2026
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What mystery-writing advice does the author slip in that she, herself, observes? Are there any rules that she breaks?
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2
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16
|
July 9, 2026
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Who did you suspect of the crime? Did your opinion about the guilty party change over the course of the novel?
|
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13
|
77
|
July 9, 2026
|
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To what audience would you recommend Chelsea Girls? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
|
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10
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61
|
July 9, 2026
|
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This is the third historical fiction novel Benedict and Murray have written together. Each has also written several novels on her own. Have you read any of their other works, and if so, how do they compare?
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19
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116
|
July 8, 2026
|
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Compare Emilie’s marriages. How much control do you think she had over either?
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11
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58
|
July 8, 2026
|
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How do you feel Star’s return helped Emilie recover from the traumatic events surrounding Rose’s birth?
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6
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33
|
July 8, 2026
|
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Discuss Emilie’s decision to exchange babies. Was it a good decision? Do you believe she would have made it had she not been caught by postpartum depression?
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11
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60
|
July 8, 2026
|
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Why do you think Emilie chose Miranda over Walker?
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11
|
60
|
July 8, 2026
|
|
Overall, what did you think of Days of Sun and Shadow? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
|
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21
|
129
|
July 8, 2026
|
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What social conventions did Emilie defy throughout her life, in your view?
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14
|
63
|
July 8, 2026
|
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In considering the contrasts between the main female characters’ lifestyles, what do you think these differences reveal about class and privilege? How does wealth act as both an enabler and a barrier for different characters?
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3
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18
|
July 8, 2026
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Catherine Lloyd is the author of several other novels, including the Kurland St. Mary Mystery series and the Miss Morton Mysteries. Have you read any of her other books? If so, how did it compare to Chelsea Girls?
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13
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55
|
July 8, 2026
|
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Were the 1960s truly a time of great change? Did fashion and music play a part in this generational change, and how did those changes differ in the UK and the US?
|
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5
|
36
|
July 8, 2026
|
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What do you think the book has to say about loyalty and friendship between women?
|
|
10
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59
|
July 8, 2026
|
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What surprised you the most about the novel? Did you learn anything new from it, and if so, what?
|
|
11
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65
|
July 8, 2026
|
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Why do you suppose none of the women’s parents want them to have careers outside the home?
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17
|
84
|
July 8, 2026
|
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Outsourcing factory work to China is a major theme. What’s your take on this trend? Do you think it can or should be reversed? Why or why not? Do companies have a choice, in your opinion?
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6
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29
|
July 7, 2026
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Tyler Wilson mourns the loss of his son. His friend Ray blames The New World Order and convinces him to join his quest for retribution in New York City. Why did Tyler went along with Ray’s scheme? Did you foresee the outcome?
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3
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16
|
July 7, 2026
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