|
Lidy believes "the lot of women isn't right"—specifically that undesired pregnancies disproportionately affects females. This situation plays out repeatedly over the course of the novel. Do you agree? Or is hers a sentiment and symptom of the era?
|
|
10
|
23
|
April 5, 2026
|
|
Hiram worships the memory of his dead wife Alta and grieves her; a put-upon Lidy resents her. Rebecca and Elsie crave her softness and stories, while Shine has no memories of her at all. How do you feel about this complicated voiceless character?
|
|
5
|
13
|
April 5, 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?
|
|
5
|
19
|
April 5, 2026
|
|
Making moonshine requires careful identification of the different parts of the distillate. Shine becomes an expert at this at an early age, but is far less adept at handling matters of her own heart. Are you glad she gets a second chance with John?
|
|
11
|
23
|
April 5, 2026
|
|
1000 Books March 2026 Read: Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
|
|
7
|
36
|
April 5, 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?
|
|
10
|
27
|
April 5, 2026
|
|
Have you read Michelle Collins Anderson’s first novel, The Flower Sisters? If so, how do the two books compare?
|
|
11
|
37
|
April 5, 2026
|
|
Which character do you feel you’re most like, and why?
|
|
17
|
64
|
April 4, 2026
|
|
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?
|
|
3
|
14
|
April 3, 2026
|
|
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?
|
|
4
|
10
|
April 3, 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"?
|
|
9
|
25
|
April 3, 2026
|
|
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?
|
|
3
|
16
|
April 3, 2026
|
|
Ruth Foster lives independently and doesn't understand why this is a problem. Why do you believe it was?
|
|
10
|
44
|
April 2, 2026
|
|
Overall, what did you think of Women of a Promiscuous Nature? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)
|
|
18
|
103
|
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
|
|
To what audience would you recommend Happy Land? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
|
|
14
|
60
|
April 2, 2026
|
|
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?
|
|
8
|
21
|
April 2, 2026
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
48
|
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
|
71
|
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
|