Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
Introduction
When Ethan Ford fails to show up for work on a brilliant summer morning, none
of his neighbors would guess that for more than thirteen years, he has been
running from his past. His true nature has been locked away, as hidden as his
real identity. But sometimes locks spring open, and the devastating truths of
Ethan Ford's history shatter the small-town peace of Monroe, affecting family
and friends alike.
Discussion Questions
- In Blue Diary, Alice Hoffman uses imagery from the natural world to
mirror events that take place in the lives of her characters. Why is it
portentous when she writes in Chapter One that lilies "only last for a
single day, and then, no matter what a person might do to save them, they
are fated, by God, or circumstance, or nature, to fade away?" What else
in the novel is as ephemeral as the lilies Hoffman describes?
- Things are not always as they seem in Monroe, Massachusetts. Do the
beautiful people in the novel have more to hide than those who are less
physically blessed? What do you think Hoffman might be trying to say about
physical beauty?
- Why does Kat "save" Rosarie from running away with Ethan, if she
knows it will mean staying on the losing end of her sister's mean behavior
all her life?
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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 Berkley Books.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.