Next Up - "The Overstory"

Whoops - I forgot to write about the meeting we had in September, which is a shame, because it was a lot of fun! Snacks, sangria, friends, and great conversation filled the room as we discussed "The Botanist's Daugher". Here are some of the questions Allison + Christine prepared - 

Round 1

1. Travel and discovery are primary themes in this novel. What parallels did you see between the two timelines? How did you resonate with either storyline?
2. Were there any characters you felt you could relate to? Did any characters remind you of other characters from past book-club books?
3. This novel uses the dual timeline framework. Do you think that strengthened the story or distracted from it?

Round 2

1. Did ‘The Botanist’s Daughter’ remind you of any other books or writers? If so, which ones and why? Should we read any of them in future meetings?
2. Was there anything you learned in the book that surprised you?
1. Did you see the plot twist (Chapter 41) coming? Do you think this plot-twist needed to happen?
2. Was the ending a satisfying one? What do you think of books that leave something unresolved?

Round 3

1. There is a romantic relationship in each of the narratives - what similarities or differences did you note between the two?
2. How did you react to some of the darker elements, namely Damien’s advances on Daisy and Simon’s death by suicide? Did you find them narratively integrated?
3. In the acknowledgements after the book, Nunn noted that she did copious amounts of research on nineteenth century England and Chile. How well did the author build the world in this book? Was the storyline believable? Did the story need to be believable in order to enjoy it?

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The next book club meeting will take place on November 5th and we will be discussing "The Overstory" by Richard Powers. This book is heavy and beautiful - prepare to cry. Hope to see you then!