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About the A Map to Paradise Discussion category
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1
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20
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March 13, 2025
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What do you think the title means?
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8
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19
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April 7, 2025
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Overall, what did you think of A Map to Paradise? (no spoilers, please!)
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53
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126
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April 7, 2025
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Melanie thinks, “[T]here’s no map to paradise. There is only the dream that such a place exists, as does the desire to possess it.” What do you think of this statement? Do you agree with Melanie? What would paradise look like to you?
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5
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14
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April 5, 2025
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Do you think Elwood was right to leave the house to Ruthie’s sons? Was June right to be upset about it?
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20
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43
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April 5, 2025
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Do you think Melanie made the right choice to stay close to Hollywood despite being blacklisted? What would you have done?
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13
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34
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April 5, 2025
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How did Nicky’s arrival change Melanie? Do you think things would have been different had Alex not left him with her?
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17
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32
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April 5, 2025
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Have you read other books by this author, and if so, how do they compare to this one? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style? What audience would you recommend A Map to Paradise to?
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16
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38
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April 5, 2025
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Guilt can manifest itself in many ways, and Elwood had an especially hard time with it. Can you sympathize with his fear of leaving the house, or even his room? Have you ever known someone who suffered from agoraphobia?
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8
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20
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April 5, 2025
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June, Melanie, and Eva all see themselves as victims in some way. Do you agree that they are victims? Who do you think is and who do you think isn’t, and why?
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5
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14
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April 4, 2025
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How does the concept of “home” play out for each of the three women, and in what ways did it shape them? In what ways was your sense of home shaped by your life experiences?
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6
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14
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April 4, 2025
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If you had access to a time machine like the one June imagined for herself, would you use it? If so, where in time would you want to go and why?
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10
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43
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April 4, 2025
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What do you think of Carson? Do you think he did enough to make up for being the reason Melanie was blacklisted?
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14
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29
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April 3, 2025
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Do you think the women end up becoming friends because of their similarities or despite them? Do you think their friendship helps them ultimately find happiness? What would have happened to each, do you think, if they hadn’t met?
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11
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30
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April 3, 2025
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When the women first meet, all three are feeling the loss or imminent loss of their sense of belonging. Why is each woman struggling with a sense of crippling displacement? Are they on Paradise Circle by choice or circumstance, in your opinion?
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6
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17
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April 3, 2025
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Eva thinks, “[I]t didn’t matter what a person said about themselves; it mattered only what others said about them.” In what ways do you see this this playing out in the novel? Do you agree with her?
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4
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11
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March 31, 2025
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June can’t list the reasons she loved Frank or Elwood; Melanie responds, “Those reasons are how we know it’s love.” June disagrees. What’s your opinion about true love? How do you tell the difference between true love and attraction?
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4
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12
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March 31, 2025
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June covered up the death of a man she cherished, whereas Eva covered up the death of a man who was dangerous. Do you think either was more justified in her action?
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9
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24
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March 30, 2025
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Is there a quote or scene in A Map to Paradise that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
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4
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16
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March 29, 2025
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Why do you think Eva kept her secret about Ernst even when June told her about what happened with Elwood? How do their experiences differ?
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10
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24
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March 25, 2025
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What did you learn about the Hollywood blacklist from Melanie’s experience? How do you think the 1950s compares to today, with social media and cancel culture?
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7
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23
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March 25, 2025
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At what points did the characters feel that they were where they belonged, & what threatened this for them? Has your sense of “I’m right where I belong” ever been similarly threatened or taken from you? How did you recover it, or how did you adapt?
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2
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5
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March 17, 2025
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