Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
Introduction
Weaving together a
pair of remarkable stories, debut novelist Jennifer Vanderbes explores the
realms of love and anger, trust and betrayal, through the eyes of two
exceptional young women living nearly a century apart who journey to the most
remote island in the worldEaster Island. Though separated by time and
circumstance, these women experience parallel turns of fate as their passions
for knowledge draw them into all-consuming investigations of the island's
mysterious past. But what begins as scientific inquiries soon unearth
frightening, personal revelations for both women, and as they
unravel the
secrets of this exotic locale, they must face their own haunting secrets. A
story about two journeys of transformation, forgiveness, and, ultimately,
redemption,
Easter Island is a powerful debut and a wonderfully intriguing book
to discuss.
The questions, discussion topics, and author biography that follow are intended
to enhance your reading of Jennifer Vanderbes'
Easter Island. We hope they
will enrich your experience of this captivating novel.
Reader's Guide
- Would you characterize Elsa and Greer as reflections of one another, or do
you consider them to have significantly distinct attitudes and personalities?
How might each woman's storyline have played out in the other's time period?
- Elsa's devotion to Alice is clear from the novel's first page. Do you
feel that Elsa has a realistic or naive perception of Alice's disabilities?
What does Alice represent to Elsa, besides being a devoted sister? Why do you
suppose it's important for Elsa to maintain an image of Alice as pure and
blameless?
- Elsa's tale ends with a spectacular "what if." Describe your
imagined outcome; were her final years tragic ones, or do you think she found
peace at last?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Dell.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.