Review:
What an interesting backdrop for a story -- the Dutch House itself is the largest and most looming character of the novel -- the people that cycle through it merely supporters in a fairy tale-esque dance. The deeply-rooted theme of mothers and children is the undercurrent of the entire 50-year drama, and how you, as a reader, relate to each character will be very much based on how you feel about mothers. Secondary to that is forgiveness. The writer begs the question -- can you truly forgive and leave the past behind you? A phenomenal book club read!
Questions:
1. Consider this line from Danny - "We overlay the present onto the past. We look back through the lens of what we know now, so we're not seeing it as the people we were, we're seeing it as the people we are, and that means the past has been radically altered." Is this true? Why or why not?
2. Discuss Andrea. What kind of a person was she? What kind of a mother? Wife? Did she get what she deserved in the end?
3. Was Danny's lack of attention to the personal lives of those he claimed to love most a symptom of having grown up as a rich child where people only functioned to serve; or a symptom of a left-behind child who grew up emotionally unavailable to all but his sister?
CROWNSTAR Rating:
.5
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Review:
Fans of Titanic, this is a MUST-read! The opulence of the upper class in the early 1900's, and the sorrowful tale of a big ship on the brink of total devastation come together with the added twist of international spies and subterfuge. Meanwhile, the interwoven love story is both romantic and heartbreaking. The story, and the characters, come alive in these pages!
Questions:
1. Three authors penned this book together. Do you feel that you can tell where one author's story stopped, and another jumped in? If so, did it make the characters more realistic to have actual different voices behind them?
2. Did Caroline make the right choice at the end? Why or why not?
3. Did Sarah write the RIGHT book after all her research? Why or why not?
CROWNSTAR Rating:
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Review:
Characters were well-written, story was totally engaging and kept me turning pages quickly...and the reason that it goes from a 4 to a 5 for me is two-fold — (1) I thought about the story for a long time once it was over; and (2) I passed the book along to my brother because I think he’ll love it. It will make for a fantastic book club discussion!
Questions:
1. Are we living in a time when it would be prudent to build our own form of a Bug-out? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think Jackie listed Alyssa as an emergency contact when she said she’d “be happy to never see” any of the group again?
3. Henry was a very business savvy individual. What did you think about his not telling the group that the last box did not have water in it but pamphlets instead? What would you have done on Henry's position? What about if you were one of the group when they found out?
CROWNSTAR Rating:
Review:
The interview style, switching back and forth between main characters, could have been very unsettling. Luckily, it was the opposite! The book read like a Rolling Stones feature interview, and I think that if it had been written any other way, the overall story would not have been so effective. Reid beautifully captures the rock-n-roll era -- the recording of tracks, the decision in which order to place them, the album cover artwork -- so flawlessly that you feel as if you are PART of Daisy's band. The underlying themes of addiction and true love are superbly handled as well.
Questions:
1. Is Camilla really stupid or really smart in her handling of being Billy's wife? Why?
2. Can you have more than one soulmate? Does Billy? Explain.
3. Karen's choice is controversial, especially for the times. She asks Graham if he would be willing to give up his dream in order to be a parent. And, if not, why should she? Discuss.
CROWNSTAR Rating:
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Review:
The companion (written after) to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, this story is infinitely better than that of it's counterpart. Queenie is a character to feel conflicted over -- you know why she does what she does, but you wonder at her motives, and wish she made different choices. The theme of addiction and parenting a child with addiction is poignantly interspersed. Definitely a good book club discussion generator. For a book club twist, read BOTH books and talk about the different points of view!
Questions:
1. At what point does Queenie cross over from trying to help David into enabling him? And is what she's doing noble or desperate in regards to trying to help Harold with his son?
2. Who is your favorite secondary character in Queenie's hospice home?
3. "Sometimes you can love something not because you instinctively connect with it but because another person does, and keeping their things in your heart takes you back to them." Discuss.
CROWNSTAR Rating:
.5
Review:
I liked her style of writing, and I like how it spanned 10 years so we got to see the characters grow and change. My biggest issues is that I find the Lu/Oscar story too desperate and unbelievable, and I didn’t love Jack. Female characters in this book rocked. Male...not so much.
Questions:
1. If Laurie has so perfectly, and so many times, described “bus boy” to Sarah, why didn’t Sarah notice that Jack could be him? Is it reasonable to think she might have given it a thought based on how invested she was with Laurie on finding him for that whole year?
2. This book asks to think about “true love” versus “love” in relationships. Is it possible to feel like your heart belongs to someone, and still be in love with someone else?
3. What do you think would have happened between Sarah and Jack if Sarah hadn’t met Luke?
CROWNSTAR Rating:
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