1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Did you identify more with Rory or Soline’s story? What about it resonated with you?
• How did the magical elements of the story affect your experience of the novel?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Many of the characters’ lives are driven or influenced by magic, or the perception of it. How does magic manifest in your life?
• Discuss the parent-child relationships throughout the novel and how they reflect or contrast your own experiences with family.
• Maman tells Soline, “There is a grief worse than death. It is the grief of a life half-lived” (105). Do you agree that a half-lived life is worse than death? Why or why not?
• Consider Rory and Soline’s relationship to their crafts: painting and dressmaking. What art forms do you approach in this way in your own life?
• Rory and Soline are both affected by grief in their own ways. Discuss a time you had to manage grief and how you worked through it.

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Part of the novel deals with the impact of the Holocaust during World War II.