We try to provide as many as we can an in a timely manner on our discussion questions page, but most of the time discussion questions arent. Family secrets, precivil war american history, perserverance. Most recently, she worked as a litigator in the new york and london offices of a corporate. Weaving together the story of an escaped slave in the precivil war south and a determined junior lawyer, the. Praise lab girl by hope jahren is a beautifully written memoir about the life of a woman in science, a brilliant friendship, and the profundity of trees. In one of my past book clubs, we literally only read books that included discussion questions at the end of the book because we wanted to be certain wed have a meaningful discussion.
As lina reflects on her mothers artwork she wonders whether you can create family connections. Newzbundlz monthly newsletter, dedicated to whats happening on the site and in the book club world. What concepts from the book did the illustrator capture with her cover. Aisha saeeds middlegrade debut tells the compelling story of a girls fight to regain her life and dreams after. Book club discussion questions this page gives you a full list of all the books featured on this site, split between fiction and non fiction.
This stunningly ambitious and beautiful first novel, perfect for fans of sarahs key and all the light we cannot see, is the story of a twelveyearold girls harrowing experience fleeing nazioccupied germany with her family and best friend, only to. At 17, belinda leaves her village and her mother behind to work as a housegirl for a wealthy couple who returned to their native ghana to retire in luxury after. Delve deeper into the books making the charts, and get tips for keeping your reading group engaged. Its not a bad book, its just not breaking any new ground. Here are ten the dutch house book club questions and a reading guide to get the conversation going ann patchetts the dutch house is the book everyone is talking about right now. The house girl by tara conklin book club discussion questions. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. While the idea of reparations is not new, it has gained more of a spotlight within the last decade. Carolina sparrow, known to her friends as lina, is an intelligent young attorney who may very well be on the fast track for a partnership at one of new yorks top law firms. Book clubs should be a place where people are the most sympathetic if you havent found time to read.
The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. But conklin also introduces caleb harper and dorothea rounds as additional narrators, speaking through their letters. I may be biased, but moms book nook is the best online moms book club youll find. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. If youve been too busy to read, you deserve respite from the cold, cruel world, and a cookie. When evie explains the era to sasha, she says it was a different time everyone ran around 144. She is a native australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and english literature. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book. General book club questions for study and discussion. But how does this title also apply to linas character.
The house girl is an enthralling story of identity and social justice told through the eyes of two indomitable women, one a slave and the other a modernday attorney, determined to define themselves on their own terms. Check the book publishers website, they often have bookspecific discussion questions available. Kelli estess the girl who wrote in silk is a dual historical and contemporary novel in which modernday aspiring hotelier inara erickson discovers a beautifully embroidered sleeve depicting a tragic event from the 1880s through which chinese. Do you think that what happened to evie could have only happened in the 1960s. It won the national book critics circle award for autobiography, among other awards, and was named a best book of the year by a number of prominent magazines. Does for botany what oliver sackss essays did for neurology, what stephen jay goulds writings did for paleontology. Weaving together the story of an escaped slave in the precivil war south and a determined junior lawyer, the house girl follows lina sparrow as she looks for an appropriate lead plaintiff. What is the significance of lina leaving her fathers house at the close of the story. The house on mango street discussion questions chicago. As a member or leader of a book club, you are likely to be reading books on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and nonfiction. Jahren published her debut book of creative nonfictionthe memoir lab girl knopfin 2016 to widespread critical acclaim.
The dutch house, which follows one fractured family over several decades as the years pile on both joy and heartbreak, is a. As a servant in the bells home josephine is literally the house girl. Cisneros writes, im going to tell you a story about a girl who doesnt belong. Book club kit discussion guide the house girl by tara conklin author. No matter the genre, age, notoriety, or length of the book of the moment, book club questions can kickstart or enhance your group discussion. Book club kit discussion guide the house girl by tara conklin. The house girl is an enthralling story of identity and social justice told through the eyes of two indomitable women, one a slave and the other a modernday from page one, i fell under the spell of the house girls sensuous prose and was frantically turning. To ask other readers questions about the house girl, please sign up. The house girl is a legalistic novel written by a new york litigator, now a fiction writer, who approaches the subject of slavery as a grievous, immoral practice and also a modern injustice that should create a legal basis for nationwide restitutions. Reading guide for the house girl by tara conklin bookbrowse. The house girl by tara conklin holds every hallmark to become a favoured historical fiction novel. The house we grew up in book by lisa jewell official. Linas mother is absent for all of her life, josephines son is fathered by her married master.
Every book page contains useful information for your book group including book club questions. Ann patchett discusses her new novel, the dutch house. Here at parnassus, booksellers have passed around an early copy of ann patchetts eighth novel so many times its starting to fall apart, which tells you something about how excited we are to hold the real thing in our hands at last. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. When you sell a man a book you dont sell just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Your local library is also a good resource, they may be able to help you track down a reading guide for your book. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. Tara conklins first novel, the house girl, arri ves in the middle of black history month boasting all the qualities of a very earnest bestseller.
Tara conklin is a writer and lawyer currently living with her family in seattle, wa. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions. Book club parties are a good way to get friends together and have great discussion over appetizers, drinks, or brunch. Adjoa andoh performs much of housegirl, michael donkors accomplished, affecting debut novel, in sparkling ghanaian english, immersing listeners in the world of ghana and the ghanaian diaspora.
What is the significance of lina leaving her fathers house at the close of the. The house girl by tara conklin book club discussion. Kate morton is the awardwinning, new york times bestselling author of the house at riverton, the forgotten garden, the distant hours, the secret keeper, the lake house, and the clockmakers daughter. Tara conklins novel the house girl weaves two stories together. The house girl is a novel in the historical fiction genre that follows the formula of a present day story alternating chapters with a historical back story. The house girl tara conklin, 20 harpercollins 384 pp. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions. Book clubs whether you are a current book club member or are looking to start a book club of your own, this is the place to go for great book recommendations your club is sure to enjoy. Many books also have questions at the end of the book. In this whimsically poetic and gripping memoir, jennifer asbenson recounts her dysfunctional, chaotic. The guernsey literary and potato peel pie society by mary.
Whether your book club is a few close friends or a larger group, hosting a book club party still takes some amount of planning. The cover of the book is symbolic of the storys many ideas and themes. Find resources for your book club, whether it meets in your living room or across cyberspace. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of william morrow. This reading group guide for the house we grew up in includes discussion questions for your book club. At the bottom of the page you will also find useful links, all in one place. The dutch house is the stuff of fairy tales, and patchetts plot sounds like a fairy tale, as well. The house girl, the historical fiction debut by tara conklin, is an unforgettable story of love, history, and a search for justice, set in modernday new york and 1852 virginia. The lake house book by kate morton official publisher. Taking us back and forth between josephine and linas worlds, the narrator gives us an intimate look into the lives of both women. We announce the book selection on the first monday of the month and discuss on the.
Have you chosen ann patchetts 2019 novel the dutch house for your book club. The house girl is a thoughtful work of fiction about freedom, love, and the continued price for former slaves with modern descendants. And i know this because when i visited my family for the holidays, more than one family. Books unleashed monthly updates on the bestsellers, whats hot and whats new in the book world. The german girl by reading guidebook club discussion. Conklin creates a convincing case of an unrecognized injustice with a novel that is both legalistic and artistic. People ask me about my process, jahren tweeted in 2017. There is no doubt given my feelings about the story lines and the presentation that the house girl would make an interesting book club. Want to see these questions in action, and join a fun monthly online book club no awkward silences, promise.
105 1118 1194 330 1127 1132 628 387 472 1461 1209 1533 1487 1148 785 707 533 246 229 1424 526 1501 1123 222 1452 259 747 592 911 950 125