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About the The Jackal's Mistress category
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1
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60
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May 12, 2025
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Overall, what did you think of The Jackal’s Mistress? (no spoilers, please!)
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22
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1146
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May 12, 2025
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Why do you think Dr. Norton was willing to treat Weybridge? Do you think his motivation was from self-interest or was there more to it?
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17
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129
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May 12, 2025
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Ultimately, what do you think Libby’s real motivation was in protecting Weybridge? Would you have been willing to take that risk for a stranger?
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17
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147
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May 12, 2025
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When did you discover the novel is based on a true story? Did it change your opinion of the work, or how you approached it? What did you think of the points at which the author deviated from history?
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14
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166
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May 12, 2025
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If you’ve read other books by this author, how do they compare to this one? How, in your opinion, does his writing bring to life the intersection of chance and choice?
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14
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493
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May 12, 2025
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Libby, Emily, and Jubilee all have to endure months of not knowing the fates of their loved ones who are at war. In their situation, is hope a positive force, or is it a liability?
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13
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101
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May 12, 2025
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What did you think of Weybridge’s soldiers leaving him to die? Were they right to do so under the circumstances? What decision would you have made, do you think?
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8
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129
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May 12, 2025
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What audience would you recommend The Jackal’s Mistress to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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6
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101
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May 12, 2025
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Weybridge writes cheerful letters home to his wife because “he saw no reason to share the brutality and the toll it was taking on him.” Do you think he was right to conceal the truth? What would you have done in his place?
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5
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63
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May 12, 2025
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Who are the Henry Morgans and John Mosbys of the modern world, waging brutality under the guise of civility?
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5
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113
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May 12, 2025
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Weybridge tries to help Jubilee understand the abolitionist cause, while later, Joseph gives Weybridge a grim dose of reality about what life will be like after the war. What perpetuated the system that kept Joseph and Sally from being truly free?
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4
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74
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May 12, 2025
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Is there a quote or scene in The Jackal’s Mistress that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
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4
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107
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May 12, 2025
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What surprising details did you learn? What family stories of war and survival have been passed down to you? How do those lives and stories compare with the ones in the novel? In what ways can fiction sometimes reveal the truth more fully than nonfiction?
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3
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47
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May 12, 2025
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Libby excels in the men’s world—from running the mill and defending her loved ones to negotiating with Union troops. As a newcomer and an interloper, what made her a good match for her husband, Peter?
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3
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68
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May 12, 2025
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Jubilee calls Weybridge “Jackal” because she is wary of the enemy’s cunning ways. How does their relationship reflect the precarious balance of trust that teeters on other aspects of the storyline, on land where dominance and control kept changing hands?
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3
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68
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May 12, 2025
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How do Sally and Joseph endure the traumas of their past, and the constant threats they face throughout the novel? What do you think sustains their devotion to each other?
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3
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84
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May 12, 2025
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As you read the epilogue, how did you react? What was erased in the aftermath of the Civil War? What persisted?
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3
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73
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May 12, 2025
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How do you feel literature prepares Weybridge for the horrors and contradictions he would witness as a soldier? How did he maintain stamina in both mind and body, in your opinion?
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2
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56
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May 12, 2025
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In the opening, Libby and Joseph survive in part because the intruder underestimates them. In the many daring encounters they experience together, how do they turn their vulnerable identities into an advantage? How do they disguise their strength?
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2
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46
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May 12, 2025
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What transformations does Libby undergo during the final showdown in chapter 23? What does the scene reveal about her essence, and the essence of the community she married into?
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2
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86
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May 12, 2025
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