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What do you think the book’s title means?
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8
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72
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June 23, 2025
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Have you read any of Baldwin’s other works? If so, which ones, and how does The Devil Finds Work compare?
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7
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126
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June 23, 2025
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Nick's relationship with father
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3
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65
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June 23, 2025
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To what audience would you recommend Becoming Madam Secretary?
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26
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382
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June 23, 2025
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The evolution of the complex relationship between Perkins and President Franklin D. Roosevelt is a central plot point in the novel. What surprised you about this relationship? How did it shed light on history?
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16
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205
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June 23, 2025
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Edie happily spent her young adulthood caring for her mother but feels she’s missed out. “There are some things that are better done when you’re young and foolhardy and unafraid of failure.” What do you make of this statement? Do you agree with it?
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6
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79
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September 3, 2025
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Many characters in the novel develop familial relationships that are made rather than born into: Lottie and Becca, Hazel and Evie, Becca and Drew. Can you think of others? Have you created this type of bond in your own life?
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3
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60
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June 23, 2025
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How do you feel Baldwin’s readings of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and A Tale of Two Cities shaped his views?
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4
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75
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June 23, 2025
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Frances Perkins considered herself the descendant of revolutionary patriots. How did this image of herself and her place in the American story influence her career choices?
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3
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105
|
June 23, 2025
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How did the portrayal of Frances Perkins's difficulty in balancing her personal and professional life make her more relatable as a character and human being?
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15
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226
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June 23, 2025
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An instructor tells Perkins to stop writing stories with happy endings. She replies, “I can’t imagine why anyone would try to change the world unless they believed in happy endings.” What do you think of this response? Do you believe in happy endings?
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14
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125
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June 23, 2025
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Perkins and Roosevelt discuss the “American experiment". They both believe “our country was founded for a purpose and with a mission: to provide for liberty and the general welfare.” What do you think of this statement? Do you agree with it?
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8
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73
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June 23, 2025
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Perkins was the driving force behind the Social Security Act. How does the novel's portrayal of this landmark achievement heighten your understanding and appreciation of it?
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13
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151
|
June 23, 2025
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Have you read any of Evie Woods’ other novels, and if so, how do they compare to The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris?
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10
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393
|
September 3, 2025
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As she arrives in Compiègne, Edie recalls how enthusiastic her friend, Gemma, had been about her “finding my true self.” What do you suppose it means to find one’s true self? In what ways do you feel Edie achieves this goal by the end of the book?
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4
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62
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September 3, 2025
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Of the many settings in the story—Rodney, Natchez Under-the-Hill, Estelle's house, the Lighthouse Motor Hotel—which did you find most evocative and why? What role do you think landscape plays in the novel?
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12
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147
|
June 23, 2025
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Is there a quote or scene in The Frozen River that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
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6
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598
|
September 3, 2025
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Perkins's legacy continues to live on in our society today. With the five-day workweek, fire and food safety regulations, unemployment insurance, and Social Security, how has your life or the lives of your family members been impacted by her work?
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16
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173
|
June 23, 2025
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What do you think the title means?
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9
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171
|
May 12, 2025
|
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When Evie disappears, Becca does all she can to find her child. What did you think about the ensuing circumstances? Is there anything different you feel Becca could have done to retrieve Evie?
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8
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75
|
June 23, 2025
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The story unfolds from three perspectives: Becca's and Hazel's in the 1930s and Nell's in the 1970s. As you read, how did this structure change your understanding of the characters and their motivations?
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14
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134
|
June 23, 2025
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What did you see as some of the advantages of Lauren’s situation? What about drawbacks?
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17
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205
|
May 12, 2025
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What audience would you recommend The Husbands to? Is there another book or author you’d recommend that you feel has a similar theme or style?
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18
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205
|
May 12, 2025
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When did you discover the novel is based on a true story? Did it change your opinion of the work, or how you approached it? What did you think of the points at which the author deviated from history?
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14
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199
|
May 12, 2025
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Madame Moreau tells Edie that her father once said, “[T]he love you have in your heart for someone you cannot be with is never a burden to be carried. It is…[a] gift you can share in other ways.” What do you feel he meant? Do you agree with him?
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2
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79
|
September 3, 2025
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Pierre Moreau wanted to become a baker because “Offering food, it seemed, held a kind of magical power to elevate people out of the ordinary...” How does this play out in the book? Do you agree with him? Have you seen this “magical power” yourself?
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4
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107
|
September 3, 2025
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What do you think the author says about the concepts of “home” and “family” over the course of the novel? Do you agree with her definitions of these subjects?
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6
|
99
|
September 3, 2025
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Melanie thinks, “[T]here’s no map to paradise. There is only the dream that such a place exists, as does the desire to possess it.” What do you think of this statement? Do you agree with Melanie? What would paradise look like to you?
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6
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41
|
May 12, 2025
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With each new husband, Lauren discovers that the weddings she had with these men vary wildly from man to man. Did that surprise you? Does it ring true for you that the celebrations would change so drastically with each partner?
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15
|
106
|
May 12, 2025
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When Amos leaves their apartment, Lauren enjoys having the freedom to do whatever she wants without having to consider anyone else's schedule or feelings. Is this sense of freedom ever possible within a couple or can it be found only when one is single?
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15
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137
|
May 12, 2025
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