Book Clubs
Hi there book club reader and leader! Thanks for your interest in my work. There’s nothing I would rather do than Zoom with your book club to discuss any of my books as a group. Even better, if time and distance allows, I’d rather join you LIVE. Readers make the world a more informed, educated and lovely place for all of us and they deserve the honor of an author’s time and energy. Please know that I’m available to you. To contact me, enter your email below and I will reach back to you shortly.
Responders receive FREE proprietary character interview content for either novel, as requested.
House of Honor
The Heist of Caravaggio’s Nativity
Questions for Book Clubs
- The Sicilian proverb, “Blood makes you related but loyalty makes you family” is quoted by Don Giotto. How do you see this play out in the lives of the characters? Do you think this maxim applies to your own life and family?
- Who is the most trustworthy character and why?
- How did the story encourage you to appreciate Caravaggio’s art? Do you think it is true that all artists are tormented souls, and this contributes to their ability to create such astonishing art? Do you think this is true of Caravaggio?
- Who were you cheering for along the way? Who did you most identify with?
- Did your take on faith or the Church change because of this story? How?
- If you go back and read Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem in the opening, how does that speak to you now that you’ve read the story, compared to your initial reading?
- How does the opening quote from Exodus apply to you and our culture today? How does it apply to the story?
- Has the societal value of honor changed over time? Would you say that this value is top of mind for you and your family?
A Minor
A Novel of Love, Music & Memory
Questions for Book Clubs
- Clare reflects on her belief that, “Pain gives birth to art.” Do you agree? In your experience what are other catalysts for artistic creation?
- How does Clive come to accept the fact of his true family lineage, rather than Clare and the Folio?
- Despite Clare’s apparent lack of faith she tells Bethany, “All our lives have transcendent value.” How does this come to fruition in Clare’s life? In your own life?
- According to Leonard Bernstein, “Music is the only art which does not require the censorship of your brain before reaching the heart.” Do you agree? Is there any other experience in life that fulfills this description?
- A significant theme of the book is the role of the audience. Claude tells Clive, “The audience is your new lover,” yet he himself had to learn from Bubbe Serkin that our passions are best pursued out of our own love and devotion. How has the role of those on the “outside” influenced your own pursuits?
- A secondary conflict in the story is the impact of God predetermining the events of our lives as opposed to ourselves as the controller of our own destinies. How do the main characters come to terms with this dilemma? Upon which side of this idea do you subscribe?
- Much has been written on the power of memory to color the lens of our own life experience. How has memory influenced your view of yourself and others?
- Clare sees the necessity of preserving Clive’s innocence for the sake of his art? Did she make the right choice? Is innocence still valued by American culture?
- Think through the role of hands in the story. What memorable moments in the plot revolve around the use of hands?
- What music do you love? How has music impacted your life with significance? Share a favorite musical memory?