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Is there an antagonist in Daughters of Shandong? If so, who or what do you think it is, and why?
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20
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273
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Overall, what did you think of Dream Count? (no spoilers, please!)
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21
|
385
|
June 23, 2025
|
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What did you think of the book’s title? Did you figure out its meaning before it was revealed toward the end of the book? Do you think the phrase is apt?
|
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14
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278
|
June 23, 2025
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When Karl shares his story in Chapter 9, no white space is used. Contrarily, when Hitler becomes chancellor, plenty of white space is used (pp 164-179). What do you think these narrative approaches are meant to express?
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7
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109
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September 3, 2025
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Harriet Sloane is an inveterate magazine reader. How do magazines and media shape our culture? And what did Harriet mean when she first told Elizabeth to "recommit"? (p. 147). Is there some dream of yours that you wish you would recommit to?
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4
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52
|
June 23, 2025
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Madeline decides that faith isn't based on religion. What role does religion play in the book? Why do Elizabeth, Calvin, and Wakely believe that personal responsibility — faith in one's self — is more important than believing in something greater?
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3
|
69
|
June 23, 2025
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At Hastings, Calvin wants to help Elizabeth because “life isn’t fair,” while she feels that accepting favors is cheating (p. 26). What’s your opinion of this interchange? Should she have accepted his help? What would you have done?
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10
|
103
|
June 23, 2025
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How do you think Elizabeth’s beauty helped or hurt her? Do you feel men are ever similarly judged by their looks? Has this changed since the time period in which the book is set, in your opinion?
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5
|
71
|
June 23, 2025
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Wakely tells Elizabeth he’s not sure “normal” exists. “Does science recognize normal?”, he asks. “How would you define normal?” (p. 353). What do you think? Is there such a thing as “normal”?
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5
|
67
|
June 23, 2025
|
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Why do you believe Mrs. Mudford was so hostile to both Madeline and Amanda?
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7
|
99
|
June 23, 2025
|
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Throughout the novel, Bertie demonstrates a fixation with inanimate objects, such as where they came from and where they went. Why do you think this is?
|
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7
|
135
|
September 3, 2025
|
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In what ways do you feel community is expressed in this book? Which expressions are positive and which are negative?
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6
|
114
|
September 3, 2025
|
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What do you think "Das Lila Lied" ("The Lilac Song") means to Bertie, Sofie, Karl, and Gert? What do you think it represents in the story itself?
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5
|
117
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Overall, what did you think of The Lilac People? (no spoilers, please!)
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|
26
|
539
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Bertie, Karl, and Sofie all show their grief and survivor's guilt in different ways. What are these ways and why do you think they differ from one another?
|
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3
|
79
|
September 3, 2025
|
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As a child, Elizabeth had no formal education, and yet she was able to self-educate, thanks to her library card. With the advent of technology, do you think libraries are still important to society? If so, why?
|
|
11
|
135
|
June 23, 2025
|
|
Overall, what did you think of Lessons in Chemistry? (No spoilers, please!)
|
|
30
|
829
|
June 23, 2025
|
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Hai and Di each have dreams for themselves. Do they achieve them? If not, was there anything different that they could have or should have done?
|
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5
|
116
|
September 3, 2025
|
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What did you think of the ending of Daughters of Shandong? Would you have changed anything about it? If so, what?
|
|
20
|
507
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Trans people during the Weimar Republic could carry police-sanctioned cards identifying themselves as trans. In relation to the time, do you feel this was a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
|
|
13
|
163
|
September 3, 2025
|
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How does Eden navigate the world of prejudice and elitism? In what circumstances do Augie, Bea, and Rufus suffer less because they are biracial?
|
|
9
|
131
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Is there a quote or scene in Daughters of Shandong that stood out to you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
|
|
14
|
211
|
September 3, 2025
|
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The book's 1995 sections are set before the return of Chinese authority. What do you predict for the future of British prestige? Is Martha Dung the new face of status and power in our real world? How will the next generation of global wealth evolve?
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7
|
92
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Rufus is caught between his mother's expectations and his true self. How does he balance being dutiful with finding fulfillment? Ultimately, what do you think the basis is for his authentic identity: Ancestry? Affluence? Ability?
|
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5
|
67
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Eden shares common ground with Freddy, whose Iranian mother died when he was younger. How are Eden and Freddy shaped by the loss of a parent and by their global upbringing? What similar disappointments do they experience in the quest for true love?
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6
|
77
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Baldwin died in 1987. Which movies that premiered after his death, featuring Black actors in major roles, would you have liked his opinion on?
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5
|
72
|
June 23, 2025
|
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Do you feel Sofie and Bertie are bad people for going into hiding instead of actively fighting against fascism? Why or why not?
|
|
14
|
141
|
September 3, 2025
|
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Do you feel Bertie was in unrequited love with Gert? Why or why not?
|
|
10
|
144
|
September 3, 2025
|
|
Elizabeth is sometimes depressed by the circumstances in her life, and yet she's never a victim. How does she continually pick herself up? What do you think fuels her resilience? And why, after she's reached stardom, is she more miserable than ever?
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|
4
|
51
|
June 23, 2025
|
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Many male characters are sympathetic to Elizabeth's plight, but most have trouble standing up for women or other minorities in the workplace. Why do good-hearted people have trouble speaking up? And what are the consequences of not doing so?
|
|
6
|
53
|
June 23, 2025
|