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Why do you think Mebel is so intent on winning Henk back? What did you feel about her choice of how to go about it?
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5
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22
|
April 29, 2026
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|
Beyond abject grief, what do you think of the reaction of the Enholm family and the Wiley community to the accident that claims the lives of their loved ones? Did anything about it surprise you?
|
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6
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30
|
April 29, 2026
|
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Billie's feelings about Joan are complicated. What aspects of Billie's life play into that relationship? What did you think about Joan's treatment of Billie?
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15
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47
|
April 28, 2026
|
|
Posters and graphics from the era
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3
|
8
|
April 28, 2026
|
|
Hera betrays Aphrodite several times throughout the novel, even after Aphrodite helps her seduce Zeus. Why do you suppose this is?
|
|
10
|
31
|
April 28, 2026
|
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Billie refuses to attend important rituals, like her graduation ceremony or funerals. Why do you suppose this is? Her mother tells her she'll regret it later. Does she? What's your opinion about such rituals?
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2
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13
|
April 28, 2026
|
|
Billie’s mother insists that she can stand pain if she makes up her mind to (“You could stand anything for a minute, an hour a day…”) What did you think of this? How did this philosophy help or hurt Billie?
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3
|
12
|
April 28, 2026
|
|
Billie tests at the level of genius and reads a thick dictionary for pleasure, and yet she is naïve about some things— for example, she thinks that the Garden of Eden is the actual location where Adam and Eve once walked. How do you reconcile these two?
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9
|
28
|
April 28, 2026
|
|
Which of the plot twists did you see coming, and which surprised you the most?
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|
25
|
115
|
April 28, 2026
|
|
Overall, what did you think of The Greek House? (No spoilers, please!)
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|
28
|
150
|
April 28, 2026
|
|
Do you think Billie is, as she implies, autistic? How does that affect your view of her and her story?
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5
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25
|
April 27, 2026
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Paris tells Aphrodite that he’s loved Helen since they were children. He asks her, “Can first love be real? Is it childish to think the first hand I held could be the one I will hold until the end of days?” What do you think about this statement?
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5
|
14
|
April 27, 2026
|
|
Why Do Men Go to War?
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2
|
14
|
April 27, 2026
|
|
To what audience would you recommend Won’t Be Long Now? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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12
|
38
|
April 27, 2026
|
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What did you know about Aphrodite and what was your opinion of her before reading Aphrodite in Pieces? Did your feelings about her change over the course of the novel?
|
|
8
|
32
|
April 27, 2026
|
|
What did you think of the author’s interpretation of Aphrodite and the other gods? Did any of her characterizations surprise you? How would you characterize Aphrodite?
|
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5
|
20
|
April 27, 2026
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Have you read either of Lauren J.A. Bear’s previous novels, Medusa’s Sisters or Mother of Rome? If so, how do they compare to Aphrodite in Pieces?
|
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8
|
34
|
April 26, 2026
|
|
What did you think of the novel’s post-Troy ending? Did you enjoy the way the various threads wrapped up? Would you have liked to have seen a different ending for any of the characters?
|
|
10
|
33
|
April 26, 2026
|
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What was your opinion of the relationship between Ares and Aphrodite? Why were they so attracted to each other, and what kept drawing them back together even after each had caused the other so much pain?
|
|
11
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30
|
April 26, 2026
|
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Ares leaves Aphrodite after the couple is discovered. Do you think he should have stood by her, defying Zeus, or did he do the right thing by ending the relationship?
|
|
9
|
24
|
April 26, 2026
|
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The only god that truly befriends Aphrodite is Apollo. Why do you believe so few of the gods show sympathy for her?
|
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14
|
44
|
April 26, 2026
|
|
Henk, Mebel’s son Sammy, and Sammy’s wife Hannah surprise Mebel by turning up in England to ask her to come back home. She refuses. How did you react to this scene? Of the adults present whose reaction surprised you the most?
|
|
6
|
14
|
April 26, 2026
|
|
When Mebel and Alain begin their affair, both are still married but living separately from their spouses. What was your opinion of Alain, and of their relationship? Did you suspect his true character before Gemma spilled the beans?
|
|
9
|
19
|
April 26, 2026
|
|
Were you familiar with any of the myths the author includes in the narrative? Which ones? How did the author’s versions compare to those you recall?
|
|
4
|
15
|
April 26, 2026
|
|
Jed longs to be a part of the Strong family and the moonshine business. When he finally gets the chance, how does he handle it? Do you feel sorry for him? Are his feelings of being used and discarded valid? Are the women better off without him?
|
|
18
|
49
|
April 26, 2026
|
|
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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13
|
43
|
April 25, 2026
|
|
There are many motherless daughters in The Moonshine Women. How do the women mother each other? How do sisterhood and female friendship become even more important when our mother figures are unavailable or gone?
|
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10
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42
|
April 25, 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?"?
|
|
10
|
33
|
April 25, 2026
|
|
What did you make of Billie’s awareness of a rage inside her that she first calls The Thing, later Charlotte? She wonders if there’s a Charlotte or something like a Charlotte in everyone’s life, but that people just don’t talk about it. What do you think?
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|
4
|
19
|
April 25, 2026
|
|
What do you think the novel suggests about the themes of family, loyalty, and forgiveness?
|
|
8
|
40
|
April 25, 2026
|