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Who did you suspect of leaving the cryptic note for Dulci, and what did you believe might be behind it?
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7
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18
|
April 3, 2026
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Did you enjoy the ending of the book? Where were you left in terms of your feelings?
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9
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23
|
April 3, 2026
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Have you read any of Dinah Jeffries’ other books? If so, how does this one compare?
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8
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23
|
April 3, 2026
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Lidy Strong knows what people in the Ozark hills call "granny cures." Which one did you find the most interesting or surprising? Can you share one from your own culture or upbringing?
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3
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13
|
April 3, 2026
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Shine is bent on revenge but is continually thwarted. But when she finally has a chance to exact some justice she balks. Later, she muses that mercy & forgiveness are more complicated. How does this shift allow her to move forward?
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4
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9
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April 3, 2026
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Elsie craves a "happily ever after." How does this impact her choices about motherhood and marriage? Eventually she comes to understand that she is stronger than she knew. Do you agree that sometimes we just need to "rescue [our] own damn self"?
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9
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25
|
April 3, 2026
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Shine decides to "make a family like she and her daddy had made moonshine, putting together a bunch of unlikely ingredients, things that didn't come from the same place...Stir it all up and see what happened." What do you think of this metaphor?
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8
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23
|
April 3, 2026
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The "cow shoes" that Shine wore to cover her tracks were just one creative way that moonshiners and bootleggers kept their operations clandestine during Prohibition. Have you heard of others that you found particularly clever?
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3
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15
|
April 3, 2026
|
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Which of the plot twists did you see coming, and which surprised you the most?
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8
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18
|
April 3, 2026
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What did you think about Dulci’s and Thirza’s relationship? Why do you think the rift between them remained unhealed for so many years?
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5
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14
|
April 2, 2026
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Thirza loved the sound of her mother’s typewriter as a child. “The rituals that hadn’t seemed...important...had turned out to be the things that...held a family together”. Do you agree with her? Are there rituals you can point to within your own family?
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3
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8
|
April 2, 2026
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Ruth Foster lives independently and doesn't understand why this is a problem. Why do you believe it was?
|
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10
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43
|
April 2, 2026
|
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Overall, what did you think of Women of a Promiscuous Nature? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)
|
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18
|
100
|
April 2, 2026
|
|
Overall, what did you think of The Seven O’Clock Club? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)
|
|
34
|
144
|
April 2, 2026
|
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To what audience would you recommend Happy Land? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
|
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14
|
60
|
April 2, 2026
|
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Nikki uses a genealogical website to research her family and does, in fact, find information about her ancestors. Have you ever done something similar? If so, how did it feel when you uncovered information about your forebears?
|
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8
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21
|
April 2, 2026
|
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Luella is shocked by the concept of not voting. What did you think of her reaction? Do you feel many people today share this sentiment about the practice? Why or why not?
|
|
8
|
29
|
April 2, 2026
|
|
What is the significance of using terms such as kingdom and royalty to describe the land and its people?
|
|
14
|
69
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
Have you read any of Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s other novels, and if so, how do they compare to Happy Land?
|
|
17
|
67
|
April 1, 2026
|
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The author based this novel on the real-life Kingdom of the Happy Land. Prior to reading this novel, what did you know about the Kingdom of the Happy Land? Were you aware that such a kingdom existed?
|
|
26
|
69
|
April 1, 2026
|
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Do you think it would be more or less difficult to share these stories of loved ones lost with strangers? Is there a safety in relative anonymity?
|
|
20
|
85
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
We don’t find out until partway through the book why each character is grieving. What were your theories at first? Were you correct in your guesses as to what had happened to each of them?
|
|
15
|
47
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
Should The Seven O’Clock Club be a movie? Who would you cast?
|
|
5
|
28
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
What effect did having the violin narrate portions of the story have on your reading experience? How did it change your relationship to the instrument?
|
|
19
|
77
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
To what audience would you recommend The Violin Maker’s Secret? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
|
|
18
|
78
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
Have you read any of Evie Woods’ previous novels, and if so, how do they compare to The Violin Maker’s Secret?
|
|
17
|
70
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
Stella is ostracized even before she becomes a snitch. Why do you believe the others don’t like her?
|
|
5
|
24
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
With the exception of Stella and Ruth, Baker disparages the girls in her care, thinking of them as “low-class degenerates” and “promiscuous, diseased, and immoral.” Why do you feel she is unable to find value in more of her charges?
|
|
5
|
21
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
[Warning: Spoilers] What did you think of the author’s view of the afterlife? How does it match or differ from your own?
|
|
16
|
52
|
April 1, 2026
|
|
Hiram calls Shine his "daughter of the spirit." What does he mean? How does Hiram's love and acceptance play a part in Shine's later decision to form and embrace her own unconventional family bonds? In the end, who do you think is the "strongest Strong?"?
|
|
1
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6
|
April 1, 2026
|