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On Pg 111 Frank exposes his prior relationship with Sergeant Badgers
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1
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17
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July 10, 2026
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Due to the laws of the 1930s, Jonathan and Graham are forced to hide their true relationship. How has our world changed or not changed since then regarding acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community?
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6
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20
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July 10, 2026
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Horace can be generous and friendly when he wants to be, but is also selfish and manipulative. Why does Horace act the way he does? Do you think he ever cared about Frank and the other club members, or were his motives always self-interested?
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11
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36
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July 10, 2026
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Christine asks Frank about Lucy, and he responds by asking where she goes on Sundays. She backs off, saying “I see your point. Friends can still have secrets.” What did you think of this? What are your thoughts about sharing secrets with friends?
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11
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32
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July 10, 2026
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Were any of the killings in the book justified, in your opinion? Why or why not?
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10
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59
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July 10, 2026
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The Cloak and Dagger Club includes excerpts from each of the main characters’ books. Which was your favorite? Do the types of stories each character writes tell you something about them?
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5
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25
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July 10, 2026
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Given the stereotype of Arkansas being backward and redneck, were you surprised to learn that many well-educated, cultured people settled in the state?
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12
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59
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July 10, 2026
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In the epilogue, Lucy and Graham share a moment of silent understanding. What did you make of Lucy’s decision to conceal Graham’s secret? Would you have made the same choice?
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10
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34
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July 10, 2026
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Have you read any books that have had a similar theme or style? If so, how did they compare to this one?
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9
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47
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July 10, 2026
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Ryan Forrester thinks that clean-air regulations were “most likely the death blow to the country’s ailing manufacturing industry.” Did the US went overboard, or not far enough when it instituted such regulations? What influences your opinion?
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7
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24
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July 10, 2026
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To what do you think the title, The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down, refers to, now that you’ve read the book?
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8
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35
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July 10, 2026
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Did you feel any of the main characters were evil, or did you mostly feel they were well-meaning?
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12
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58
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July 10, 2026
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Mary often tells Chrissie that she’s her best friend. Do you think this was true? What was your opinion about their relationship?
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13
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69
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July 10, 2026
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What is your experience with homemade clothes? Have you ever sewn your own styles, or used a pattern (Butterick or some other brand)?
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25
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157
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July 10, 2026
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Overall, what did you think of Chelsea Girls? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
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24
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131
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July 10, 2026
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Have you ever been a member of a writer’s group, and if so, in what ways did it resemble The Cloak and Dagger Club? If you were a writer, would you join such a group?
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8
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29
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July 9, 2026
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The Cloak and Dagger Club is a fair-play, Golden Age-style mystery, which gives readers the clues they need to solve the crime. What reveals surprised you, & which did you guess correctly? Did you pick up on any pivotal clues? How about red herrings?
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5
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19
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July 9, 2026
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The Cloak and Dagger Club references many Golden Age crime authors and classic mysteries. Have you read any mystery novels from this period? Did you notice any parallels?
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7
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25
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July 9, 2026
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Payne Tool & Die is told they’ll have to outsource to China, but the family patriarch wants to sell their personal property to keep the company afloat. He’s outvoted, but had his strategy prevailed, do you think he could have saved the company?
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8
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27
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July 9, 2026
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What mystery-writing advice does the author slip in that she, herself, observes? Are there any rules that she breaks?
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2
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17
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July 9, 2026
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Who did you suspect of the crime? Did your opinion about the guilty party change over the course of the novel?
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13
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77
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July 9, 2026
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To what audience would you recommend Chelsea Girls? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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10
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62
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July 9, 2026
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This is the third historical fiction novel Benedict and Murray have written together. Each has also written several novels on her own. Have you read any of their other works, and if so, how do they compare?
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19
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117
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July 8, 2026
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Compare Emilie’s marriages. How much control do you think she had over either?
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11
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58
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July 8, 2026
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How do you feel Star’s return helped Emilie recover from the traumatic events surrounding Rose’s birth?
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6
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34
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July 8, 2026
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Overall, what did you think of Days of Sun and Shadow? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
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21
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134
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July 8, 2026
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What social conventions did Emilie defy throughout her life, in your view?
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14
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65
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July 8, 2026
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In considering the contrasts between the main female characters’ lifestyles, what do you think these differences reveal about class and privilege? How does wealth act as both an enabler and a barrier for different characters?
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3
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18
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July 8, 2026
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Catherine Lloyd is the author of several other novels, including the Kurland St. Mary Mystery series and the Miss Morton Mysteries. Have you read any of her other books? If so, how did it compare to Chelsea Girls?
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13
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55
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July 8, 2026
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Were the 1960s truly a time of great change? Did fashion and music play a part in this generational change, and how did those changes differ in the UK and the US?
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5
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36
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July 8, 2026
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