Book Club Resources
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Book Club Questions: The Rosemont Series
- Have you – or someone you know – been thrust into a life situation like Maggie’s where you needed to start over?
- What personal qualities did Maggie possess that allowed her to lose her entire social support group, like she did with the Windsor College community, and rebuild her network?
- Have you experienced a crisis where the people you thought would “show up” were conspicuously absent and you were surprised and uplifted by the kindness of strangers?
- Was this a fast-paced, engaging read? Would you say it was plot driven or character driven?
- How have you encouraged a friend or family member who thinks they will never meet that special someone, like Maggie does with her daughter Susan?
- Have you ever run for public office or been involved in a political campaign? If yes, would you recommend political involvement to your friends and family?
- Do you decorate your home for the different seasons?
- How would you feel about moving to an entirely new area of the country, where you know no one?
- Would you start over with new furnishings, as Maggie does, or would you surround yourself with familiar furniture and décor?
- Was the plot predictable or were you surprised along the way? Did you believe the ending?
- We’ve all met someone like Frank Haynes, who refuses to be the better person that he shows us – on rare occasion – he can be. Have you ever convinced someone to be his or her best self? How did you do it?
- Do you enjoy entertaining, as Maggie does?
- Do you know your neighbors and is your neighborhood a friendly place? Would you welcome more interaction with your neighbors?
- Did the book engage you right away or did it take a while to get into?
- Have you ever ended a relationship because the other person didn’t make you a priority?
- Have you ever been assigned to work on a big project with someone you didn’t like? In the course of working with them, have you learned to like them better?
- Did any of the passages or dialogue strike you as insightful or ring particularly true? Have you said or felt any of those things?
- Have you ever spent a major holiday away from home? How did you handle it? Would you do it again?
- What would you like to ask the author?
- What would you like to see happen in the third installment of the Rosemont series?
- Have you ever abruptly changed your mind about a major life decision, and were you happy you did?
- Have you ever trusted someone that betrayed your trust?
- Have you ever found or inherited a valuable collection or treasure? What did you do with it?
- If you got married at your current age, what would you plan for your wedding?
- What new trends or traditions have you seen at a recent wedding you attended or heard about?
- What traditions would you like to see revived?
- If you were to go on a honeymoon now, where would you go?
- Have you ever travelled to a place (or wanted to) because it was a setting in a novel?
- Have you participated in agility trials or hospital pet therapy visits with your dog?
- What is the most unexpected weather “surprise” that you’ve experienced and how did you handle it?
- Where would you go on your ideal honeymoon?
- Have you ever had to take a trip or attend a big event when you had to force yourself to ignore something upsetting?
- How do you make yourself stop worrying about something?
- What would you have done in Maggie’s situation? Would you have told your children about the possibility of their having a half-sister?
- Have you ever tried to talk your child out of doing something altruistic that might involve personal risk?
- Have you ever splurged on a big purchase? Are you glad you did?
- Have you ever lost a home you dearly loved?
- Did you find happiness in your new home, and if you did, how did you do it?
- What is the most memorable wedding you’ve attended?
- What one piece of advice would you give newlyweds?
- Do you have a pet? What kind and why did you choose it?
- What benefits or blessings do you experience from owning a pet?
- Do you have a therapy dog or have you ever seen one in action?
- Have you ever had an encore career? What was it?
- What prompted you to change careers?
- If you could have another career now, what would it be?
- What activities would you like to spend more time doing?
- What would you like to spend less time doing?
- What is the most influential piece of advice you’ve ever received?
- What would you say to a group of graduates?
- Have you ever changed careers?
- What prompted you to make the change—or held you back?
- Did you have doubts about your new professional direction? How did you handle any second thoughts?
- If you could have one “do-over” in your professional life, what would it be?
- Do you have a service dog, or have you ever seen one in action?
- If you have a dog, have you trained it and how did you do it?
- What creative outlets do you enjoy?
- Is there a hobby you’re looking forward to enjoying in the future?
- What activity could you give up so you could enjoy this hobby now?
- What piece of advice do you wish your 21-year-old self would have listened to?
Book 7: Restoring What Was Lost
- Do you know anyone who has an adoptive family?
- Have you parented an adopted child? If so, what prompted your decision to adopt? Would you adopt again if given the chance?
- Have you known anyone who has reunited with a birth parent or family member? How has the relationship developed over time? How has it affected relationships in the adoptive family?
- How do you feel about the confidentiality of the adoption process?
- Now that genetic medical history can be so helpful, should that impact an adoptee’s rights to information?
- Do you have a service dog, or have you ever seen one in action?
- Do you know anyone who has reunited with someone from their high school or college years? Has the rekindled relationship worked out or, as the saying goes, can you ‘never go home again’?
- Do you ever wonder whether a relationship with an old flame might have led to lasting happiness if something had been different in your youth?
- Is there anyone from your romantic past that you’ve reconnected with and are now just friends?
- What one person from your past would you like to come in contact with now?
Book Club Questions: Guiding Emily Series
- Do you personally know anyone who is blind?
- If so, what is your observation of their ability to live a normal life?
- What is your personal reaction when you encounter a visually impaired person? Do you offer to help or stay out of their way?
- The newly blind find going out terrifying and self- isolate. Can you relate to this?
- Have you had to cope with a life-altering disability for yourself or a family member?
- How did you feel about Connor’s reaction to Emily’s blindness?
- Would you have handled a child’s blindness in the way that Martha did?
- How did you feel about Gina? Do you think she and Emily can-or should-patch things up?
- What did you think about the portrayal of Garth?
- Do you know any service dogs?
- Are you aware of the serious threats posed to real service dogs by fake ones? Have you seen any encounters like the one Garth has in the restaurant?
- Can you understand how service dogs bring the blind out of self-imposed isolation and provide the comfort and love that all pets do?
- Do you personally know anyone who is blind?
- If so, what is your observation of their ability to live a normal life?
- Have you observed anyone using a screen reader?
- What is your personal reaction when you encounter a visually impaired person? Do you offer to help or stay out of their way?
- The newly blind find going out terrifying and may self-isolate. Can you relate to this?
- Have you had to cope with a life-altering disability for yourself or a family member?
- How did you feel about Emily and Gina’s attempts to patch up their friendship?
- Visually impaired people report that they all occasionally get lost. Have you ever gotten lost? How did the experience make you feel?
- Do you know any service dogs?
- Can you understand how service dogs bring the blind out of self-imposed isolation and provide the comfort and love that all pets do?
