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Evelyn tells Bessie she thinks life would be simpler if people said what they thought more often, although Bessie disagrees (p. 4). What do you feel about this statement? Which woman do you agree with?
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5
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12
|
June 21, 2025
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What are your first impressions of Evelyn? Does she feel relatable to a modern reader?
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6
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13
|
June 21, 2025
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Do you think that Evelyn could have handled Lady Violet differently?
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10
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26
|
June 21, 2025
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Arthur tells Ash he thinks “the whole point of a book club is to read things you wouldn’t normally.” (p. 71). Do you agree with him? If you’re in a book club, do you feel it encourages you to read outside your comfort zone?
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25
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95
|
June 20, 2025
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What did you think about Evelyn's and William's first meeting? Did you sense an attraction between them?
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5
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15
|
June 20, 2025
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William tells Evelyn, “The longer you go without seeing someone, the harder it is to remember why you were so angry with them…” (p. 185). Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
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9
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27
|
June 20, 2025
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Is Nathaniel truly drawn to Evelyn, or do you think he is just trying to get Lady Violet's attention and playing her at her own game?
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9
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21
|
June 20, 2025
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What did you think about William's personality and the way he interacts with Evelyn in the first part of the book? Are his actions and manner justified by his circumstances?
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5
|
20
|
June 19, 2025
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Nell and Emily ended up living in rural communities while Annie was determined to stay in the city. Why do you suppose the girls developed such different desires as they grew older? Do you consider yourself a country girl or a city girl
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8
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22
|
June 19, 2025
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Adelaide tells Emily that fear is a temporary thing. “Face it, and it doesn’t exist anymore. Turn away from it and it’ll haunt you forever.” (p.215). What do you think she means? Do you agree?
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9
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21
|
June 19, 2025
|
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How does Evelyn's' relationship with her mother develop over the book, and what are the strongest factors that influence it?
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4
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13
|
June 18, 2025
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All German citizens were made to pay reparations after WWII (in the form of physical labor and low food rations). Do you believe this was fair? Why or why not?
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7
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43
|
June 18, 2025
|
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Phyllis likes to pick a random stranger and make observations about them. What did you think of this hobby? How often do you think her observations were productive, and when did they lead her astray? Have you ever done something similar?
|
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9
|
26
|
June 17, 2025
|
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At several points throughout the novel Nova recalls her father saying, “No one writes books about characters who sit around waiting for life to happen to them.” What do you think he was trying to convey to her? Do you agree with him?
|
|
10
|
45
|
June 17, 2025
|
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What are your thoughts on the homesteading life we see among women of Kansas? Do you follow any of these traditional ways of living (making or repairing clothes, canning), or are there any aspects of that life you would like to adopt? If not, why?
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9
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22
|
June 17, 2025
|
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Before Dorothy imagines Emily Gale as a young woman embarking on a new life on the Kansas prairies. How did you respond to her, and what surprised you the most about the challenges she and Henry face as they establish their new life in Kansas?
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|
9
|
31
|
June 17, 2025
|
|
Emily’s mother keeps the pamphlet about Kansas with a dream of going there one day, and Emily shares her sense of destiny to move there. Why do you suppose this is? Where do you most long to visit, or move to? Is there a place you're pulled toward?
|
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7
|
23
|
June 17, 2025
|
|
What did you think of the treasure hunts Vincent had first Poppy and then Olivia undertake? Have you ever done something similar?
|
|
17
|
45
|
June 16, 2025
|
|
Poppy claims that film doesn’t lie “like memories do.” Is this true? Are there more accuracies in film, or can film be as misleading as memories?
|
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18
|
58
|
June 16, 2025
|
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In an exchange with her mother, Evelyn expresses an unwillingness to trust others (“I do not want to place my belief in someone and then be forced to watch as they lead me over a cliff edge,” p. 14). How does this lack of trust impact her life?
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5
|
17
|
June 16, 2025
|
|
To what audience would you recommend The Lamplighter’s Bookshop? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
|
|
15
|
52
|
June 16, 2025
|
|
Were you surprised at how involved the publishing process is?
|
|
17
|
46
|
June 15, 2025
|
|
Would you ever want to be a ghostwriter—doing the work in the background but never acknowledged—or do you prefer to be the star?
|
|
22
|
75
|
June 15, 2025
|
|
In what ways do you find the book relevant to today's atmosphere?
|
|
0
|
7
|
June 15, 2025
|
|
Overall, what did you think of The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris? (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
35
|
204
|
June 15, 2025
|
|
Who did you think was guilty of killing the siblings? Did you believe Vincent could do it?
|
|
19
|
106
|
June 15, 2025
|
|
When Olivia asks Vincent why he wants to write the story, he tells her, “When I die, they’ll die with me…This is the least I can do for them.” She, however, thinks it’s “about money and about manipulating me one last time.” Whose view is correct?
|
|
11
|
39
|
June 15, 2025
|
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Olivia wonders if Margot’s & Mark’s memories are colored by their friendships with Poppy & Danny. Do you think you could recall something with complete accuracy? Do you have particular memories that you know are clouded by your feelings at the time?
|
|
13
|
41
|
June 15, 2025
|
|
Do you think in the end that Vincent has told Olivia the complete truth, or as a “liar by trade and by instinct” he’s held back a portion of it?
|
|
15
|
61
|
June 15, 2025
|
|
Olivia’s father tells her, “Very rarely do people like what they find when they go digging into the past.” How did you feel about his statement here? Do you agree with him?
|
|
18
|
62
|
June 15, 2025
|