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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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8
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36
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April 14, 2026
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Overall, what did you think of The Moonshine Women? For what audience would you recommend the book? (no spoilers in this topic, please!)
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28
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86
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April 14, 2026
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Have you read Michelle Collins Anderson’s first novel, The Flower Sisters? If so, how do the two books compare?
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24
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97
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April 13, 2026
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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?"?
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6
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18
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April 13, 2026
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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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7
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33
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April 13, 2026
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Of Lidy, Elsie says, "Right or wrong, but never indifferent. She was a Strong through and through." Did you agree with the steely matriarch's decisions to do what she thought best—whether keeping a painful secret or ending a life prematurely?'
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10
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30
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April 13, 2026
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Other than the main trio (Baker, Ruth, and Stella) which character struck a chord with you and why?
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14
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59
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April 13, 2026
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Many women were scared or intimidated into submitting themselves to these facilities. Women didn't receive due process through a court system. Why do you think women were the primary focus of immoral behaviors and not men?
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21
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63
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April 13, 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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13
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40
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April 13, 2026
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Why do you think Baker refuses to believe Stella has made progress with Frances? Does Baker deliberately uses the girl in her attempt to oust Mrs. Maynard? Why do you suppose Stella is willing to align herself with Baker again after such treatment?
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3
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17
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April 13, 2026
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Dorothy Baker is passionate about what she sees as her mission. Her beliefs are typical of the day. Considering the time period, do you believe Baker was cruel? What similarities do you recognize within these institutions as compared to an actual prison?
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10
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27
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April 13, 2026
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Stella's intelligence and eagerness to please win Baker over. What did you think of their relationship? Do you think it was helpful to Stella, or do you wish her outcome were different?
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10
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34
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April 13, 2026
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Stella is ostracized even before she becomes a snitch. Why do you believe the others don’t like her?
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7
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28
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April 13, 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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21
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123
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April 13, 2026
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Overall, what did you think of Happy Land? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)
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39
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176
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April 13, 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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8
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32
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April 11, 2026
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Thirza speculates that not only does Billy’s spirit still inhabit Merchant’s House, but so do the “ghosts of their former selves” (p. 111). What do you think she meant? Does this concept ring true to you?
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7
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24
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April 11, 2026
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Why do you suppose Ianthe so wanted to marry Walter? What did you think of the couple’s interactions? What future do you see for them?
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13
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47
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April 11, 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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11
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33
|
April 11, 2026
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Which character do you think is most affected by the themes of envy, love and betrayal in the novel? Why?
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9
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41
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April 11, 2026
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How did you feel about Thirza's relationship with Emilio? How does it impact her time in Corfu?
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13
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54
|
April 11, 2026
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The novel blends personal drama with the wider political and social tensions of its historical setting. How do these external pressures heighten the stakes of the relationships and decisions made within the novel?
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7
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21
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April 11, 2026
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To what audience would you recommend The Greek House? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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12
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47
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April 11, 2026
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John Flanagan is an idealist whose experiences reflect the arc of Prohibition. How does this "rule follower" fare with a rogue partner, mountain moonshiners and criminals? What finally jolts him out of his passivity to pursue what he really wants?
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3
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9
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April 10, 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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5
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14
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April 10, 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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11
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34
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April 10, 2026
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Shine is both starry-eyed and fearful of her first famous customer at the bar, Al Capone. She believes they are both "willing to do whatever it took to survive and keep their families safe." Do you agree? Does Shine discover a line she won't cross?
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7
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21
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April 10, 2026
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What did you initially think of Penelope, and of her relationship with Piers? How did your opinion of her change over the course of the novel? How about your opinion of Piers?
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10
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36
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April 10, 2026
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1000 Books March 2026 Read: Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
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13
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56
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April 9, 2026
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Rita decided to take the Lusitania despite the warnings. Was she too trusting that the ship was too fast to be torpedoed? Or was she justified in feeling that her need to reach her brother outweighed the risk? Would you have boarded the ship?
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24
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52
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April 9, 2026
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