Small Town Sins, by Ken Jaworosky

 

Characters
Nathan Stultz	Callie	Andy
Paula – wife, nurse Lee Lee Roland – affairs, teenager and as an adult   Saved man from burning building Found bag of money	Disfigured at birth Nurse   Gabriella – patient, dying, parents don’t want medicine	Kate – wife, suicide to be with Angie Angie – daughter, Down’s Syndrome, died   Danny – teenage friend who kept him somewhat straight Sophie – younger sister   Father Glynn – child predator, notebooks of photos

 

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2023 paperback edition.

Nathan:

1.      Did you understand Nathan’s motivation for keeping the money?  Was he in general an honest man?

2.      When he went to the hospital to harm the man he rescued, were you surprised that Paula let him in?  Why do you think she did so?

3.      What did you think about the ending of this story with Paula trying to commit suicide?

Callie:

4.      Do you think Callie surprised herself with all of the crazy things she did on the trip to show Gabriella the ocean?  Would she have been able to do these things on a regular day?

5.      When Callie and Gabriella were talking about kindness, Gabriella asked Callie, “Do you think you should always be a nice person, every single minute of the day, even if you don’t want to be?  And if you don’t want to be nice, but you act nice, is that a kind of lie?” (page 45).  What did you think about this idea?

Andy:

6.      Andy’s best friend, Danny, worked to ensure that his sister, Sophie, could succeed in school and go to college.  All that changed when she was beaten and raped by Slee, who Danny had let into the house with drugs.  When Danny and Andy when to confront Slee and kill him, Danny ended up killed instead.  How did all of this effect Andy and his life?

7.      Andy stole the briefcase from Father Glynn’s car because he thought it contained money.  Instead, he found pornography.  He decided at that moment to kill Father Glynn along with himself.  Was this a positive or negative purpose for his life?

General:

8.      When Callie and Gabriella where driving to ocean, Gabriella said to Callie, “It’s always those little things, huh?’ (page 217) referring to the small memories and joys we have in life.   What “little things” were there in the stories that brought people joy?

9.      Would the characters’ lives have been different it they had lived in a more prosperous location with more opportunities?

10.  How do you think the stories ended?  Did Gabriella make it back to the hospital?  What happened to Callie?  Did Paula survive?  Did Andy commit suicide or decide to live after he heard Angie telling him, “Daddy: The best part about tomorrow is that there will be more things to love,’ (page 245)?

11.  What did you find hopeful or positive in the novel?

12.  What was your reading experience?  Was there any point when you thought you might stop reading?  Were you tempted to skip to the end to see how everything concluded?

13.  Was there any connection among the three stories?  Were you expecting the story lines to somehow converge at some point?  What do you think the author’s creative and thought process was?

14.  This book received a 3.9-star rating on Goodreads and 4.2 on Amazon.  How would you rate the book?  Why?

 

Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan

 

Characters
Cal Jenkins	Margaret Anderson Salt
Cal Jenkins – exempt from serving in military in WWII due to leg deformity, Civilian Defense Corp.   Becky – wife, able to connect people with loved ones through voices   Cal Maurice Jenkins Jr. “Skipper» - son, died in Viet Nam   Everett – father   Ida and Roman Hanover – Becky’s parents   Casey LaGrange – pretended to be writing a book about psychics	Margaret - Left at Open Arms Orphanage, multiple foster homes   Lydia Verts – live-in administrator, gave Margaret responsibilities at orphanage   Moved to Columbus, met Felix and married, eventually moved to Bonhomie   Felix – unknowingly gay   Felix entered Navy, unable to fly because of color-blind, survived sinking of ship while many died including Augie (romantic partner)   Bishop – veteran, part of veterans group met over lunch to share stories, later a relationship with Felix   Margaret kissed Cal when end of war announced on radio – began affair   Thomas Aquinas Salt – Felix or Cal’s son?

 

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2025 hardback edition.

1.      Did you gain any insight into what it was like during WWII?  For example, letters were delayed months, information blacked out, Felix’s R and R was over before Margaret even knew it was happening. 

2.      Felix’s letters became more impersonal as their separation continued.  Their separation was so long that Margaret felt she had “lost the sense of him” (page 153).  They were separated for over two and a half years.  Do you think this was normal during WWII?  Was there anything they could do to reestablish their relationship?

3.      Did the book give you any insight into what it was like to serve and then return home during WWII?  After Felix was home and trying to return to his former life he often felt like “that version of himself had gone down with the Teague.  In fact, it was as if all versions of Felix Salt had gone down with the Teague except for this one, this carapace of a guy with his eye set on nothing” (page 248).

4.      Discuss Margaret’s challenges as a mother.  She felt as “if he (Tom} were always playing a game with her, but she never knew what the game was” (page 243).  How could she know what to do given her childhood in the orphanage?

5.      Given her experience of being abandoned by her own mother, how do you think she rationalized doing the same to her own child?

6.      Did you think Felix thought of himself as gay, even after his relationship with Augie?  Given the time frame of the novel, was this normal?

7.      Augie told Felix a quote from Thomas Aquinas, “The things that we love tell us what we are” (page 247).   How does that apply to the different characters in the book?

8.      Do you think Skip and Tom should have been told they were half-brothers, especially when Skip joined the Marines and was in harm’s way?  Was there a good time when this could have happened?

9.      Discuss the various characters and how their experiences in life impacted their choices.  For example, was there any way Margaret and Felix’s marriage could have survived?

10.  Did you like the ending focusing on Cal and Becky?

11.  The story starts in 1920 and ends around 1976.  Did it provide a good history of our country?  Multiple important events were referenced such as Pearl Harbor, FDR dying, the killings at Kent State, and the draft lottery in December 1969.  Did the author’s description seem true to you, especially the way he described the wars and their impact on those at home and those who served? 

12.  Discuss your reading experience. What things mentioned did you recognize?  For example, Lazarus Department Store, Laura Engles Wilder, Zane Grey novels.

 

The Pioneers, by David McCullough

 

1783 Paris Peace Treaty – all land west of Allegheny Mountains to Mississippi River belong to the United States

1787 – 1794

Rev. Manasseh Cutler – one of the driving forces of the passage of the Northwest Ordinance Jervis Ephraim, and Charles – sons who went west 1800 – elected to Congress   Northwest Ordinance – 1787 – Conditions for statehood: freedom of religion, emphasis on education, no slavery   Bunch of Grapes Gathering: General Rufus Putnam Ohio Company of Associates – Putnam chair   1788 – First pioneers – 48 men in 2 groups – skilled tradesmen Jervis Cutler – Rev. Cutler’s son Leaders – Major Haffield White and General Rufus Putnam   First fort – Fort Harman – housed 864 people, originally built to protect Indians from illegal settlers   First settlers: Dr. Jabez True – medical doctor Paul Fearing – attorney Mary Owens – first female, nurse General Authur St. Clair – first governor of Northwest Territory Rev. Manasseh Cutler   First families: 36 total people General Benjamin Tupper, wife, 5 children, 2 grandchildren Four other families   Dec. 1790 – Rufus Putnam wrote to President Washington about Indian attack concerns   1791 January 2 - first Indian attack on settlers May 3 – Congress addressed problem Arthur St. Clair put in command of army, hoped for 2,000 troops – mostly men pulled off streets and from jails   Indians – Little Turtle, Miami war chief; Blue Jacket, Shawnee war chief; Tecumseh, scout, Sharnee warrior   Nov. 4 – Indians attacked St. Clair ordered retreat, wounded left behind, 1094 killed or wounded out of 1400 1792 New commander – General “Mad Anthony” Wayne   August 1794 Overwhelming victory   August 1795 Treaty of Greenville – Indians confined to certain areas

1795 - 1814

Ephraim Cutler- June 1795 he and family went to Ohio Children Hezekiah and Mary died on trip west 1799 – Established new settlement in Waterford Sally Parker – second wife, 5 children Brothers Jervis and Charles joined him in Ohio   Harman Blennerhassett – very rich, built house on island Margaret – wife (also his niece) Wrote “The Querist” column that promoted western independence from the Union   Jospeh Banker – shipbuilder   1803 – Ohio became the 17th state – first in the Northwest Territory   1803 – Chapman family – son Johnny became Johnny Appleseed   1804 – Ohio University established in Athens, Ohio   1805 - Colonel Aaron Burr visited Blennerhassett who paid for all of Burr’s plans Wanted to build ships, recruit men and take over Mexico   Dr. Samuel Hildreth – stayed in Marietta Worked with Dr. Jabez Tru During fever epidemic in 1807 few of his patients died   During this period, Marietta successful in shipbuilding and rope-works Embargo Act of 1807 stopped shipbuilding

1815 - 1863

1816 – Indiana became a state 1818 – Illinois became a state   1934 - 1935 – Marietta College founded   Ephraim Cutler – in state legislature, promoted public school systems, against slavery   1824 - Rufus Putnam died – supporter of higher education; helped establish Marietta’s first school, church, and bank; against slavery Dr. Benjamin Silliman – “prominent and influential scientific American during the first half of the nineteenth century” (page 234), raised money for art gallery at Yale   Marietta one of main stops on Underground Railroad   1852 – Harriet Beecher Stowe – published Uncle Tom’s Cabin, lived in Cincinnati for 17 years

 

NOTE: Page numbers are from 2019 paperback edition.

1.      Initially the western territory was thought to be a wonderful, safe, and prosperous place.  Would you have gone out west with your family?

2.      When the Indians were attacking the settlers around 1790 and the families were told to come to the fort for safety, one mother would not leave her house until it was straightened up (page 95).  Did you understand her actions?

3.      So many visitors disapproved of how the Indians were treated and forced to move to remote locations.  What might have been the alternatives?

4.      Did you enjoy the details presented in the book?  I had a hard time deciding which people to include in my chart!

5.      Besides Aaron Burr and Johnny Appleseed, were you familiar with any of the people in the book before reading it?

6.      On that same topic, have you ever heard of Manasseh Cutler or Rufus Putnam?  They were very instrumental in several areas.  One newspaper upon Cutler’s death wrote that he was “a pioneer in a new country, not merely a pioneer in science, but a pioneer for truth and civilization in every form” (page 201).   Why do you think we never heard of them?

7.      The author mentioned at least twice that Harman Biennerhassett had married his niece.  Did that matter to the story?

8.      On page 225 McCullough wrote that one thing that amused “first-time visitors was the range and oddities of local expressions and vocabulary to be heard on all sides” (page 225).  Two expressions included were “crick” for “creek” and “red up” (obviously misspelled!) for “tidy up.”   Do you use any of these expressions?

9.      If you are from, or living in, Pittsburgh, did that add to your enjoyment and understanding of the book?

10.  Discuss your reading.  Did you enjoy this book?  Are you happy that you read it?  If so, why?

Wild Dark Shore, by Charlotte McConaghy

 

Characters
Rowan Hank Jones – husband, biology professor at NYU Rowan’s siblings – Liv, Jay, River (drowned when she was watching him)   Dominic Salt “Dom” Claire – wife, deceased Raff – oldest child, violin player, plays whale sounds Fen – swims and stays with seals Orly – 9 years old   Shearwater Global Seed Vault in Antarctica   Scientists: Hank – senior botanist – research into adapting plants to climate change Alex Tom – Alex’s brother, meteorologist doctor
Animals	Plants
Seals – King Brown, Silver, Freckles Penguins – gentoos (babies) Whale – Raff plays whale songs on violin Humpback whales – protected dead baby gray whale from orcas - empathy Albatross – circles globe three times a year, spreads buzzing burr Giant petrels Sooty shearwaters – birds, follow whales	Dandelions – food for many insects and birds, considered a weed Buzzy burr – depend on animals for survival, hook onto fur for transport Mangrove seeds Pitcher plants – eat insects Wollemi pine Banksia plant – only in Australia

 

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2025 hardback edition.

1.      This book had fewer characters than many books we have read.  Did you like that?  Could it have worked if the author had added more characters?

2.      As you were reading, what did you think happened to Hank?

3.      How was the information about Rowan and Hank’s house burning to the ground important to the story line?

 4.      There were many hints, especially in the first 100 pages, about what had happened.  For example, early on Dominic cleans up blood (page 13), all the communication equipment was broken (page 48), last three emails from Hank (page 94), and Dom thinks he has to warn the kids who Rowan really is and that she is a liar (page 68).  Did this add to your reading?

5.      Were you surprised that it was Orly who broke all of the communication equipment?  Why did he do that?

6.      As you were reading, what did you think had happened and how the story would end?  For example, were you surprised that Rowan died saving Orly? 

7.      Did you like all of the information about plants and animals?  Which did you find particularly interesting?  How did this add to the story?

8.      Did reading Orly’s description of the importance of dandelions and how they feed many animals (pages 17 and 18) change the way you look at them as a weed?

9.      How do you think the surviving family members are going to fare once they get back to civilization?

10.  Did you find the end satisfying?  Why or why not? 

11.  Discuss your reading experience.  Did you enjoy the book?  How did you feel when you finished the book?

12.  Why do you think this book was chosen for Reese’s Book Club and also was at the top of the USA Today’s best books of 2025 list?

My Friends, by Fredrik Backman

 

Characters

The One of the Sea C. Jat – artist, first picture painted at age 14 Three figures: Joar, Ted, and Ali “C. Jat” stands for Christian, Joar, Ali, and Ted   Kim – “KimKim”  Parents divorced Dad – alcoholic, complained to friends about Kim and he could hear   Joar Mother – abused, a lot of gossip regarding the way she dressed, poor judgement Father – abusive to both wife and Joar, worked in factory, injured in accident   Ted Father died of cancer at age 14 Older brother – abused Ted Mother – worked nights to take care of Dad during day Ted became a history teacher, stabbed at school trying to protect a student   Ali Dad could not keep a job, moved a lot, mother deceased   Louisa – graffiti artist, in foster system, aged out at beginning of novel Mother left her with neighbors and never returned   Fish – Louisa’s friend, died   Christian – artist, temporary janitor at Kim’s school, encouraged Kim Mother – art history professor

 

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2025 hardback edition.

1.      Discuss the various characters.  It took the author considerable time to tell their stories.  Did that add to your reading or not?

2.      Why were the four such good friends?  What did they get from the friendship that they were not getting in their family lives?

3.      When Ted and Louisa were on the train with the ashes and painting, Ted thinks, “…the artist was right.  She’s one of us” (page 119).  How do you think Louisa would have fit in with the four friends?

 

4.      The phrase “one of us” was used several times to describe the friends and Kim referred to Louisa with that phrase.  Christian told him mother he had found one on pages 216 and 408.  At the end of the book Louisa tells Ted she found one on her travels (page 433).  What qualities makes someone “one of us?”

5.      When Joar’s father was severely injured in a factory accident, the father’s friends seemed suddenly to feel guilty that they knew he was abusive to his family but never said anything.  Why did they suddenly feel guilty?

6.      Were there any sentences that resonated with you?  For example, if you have recently lost someone in your life, what did you think when you read “You don’t wish for happiness when you have lost the love of your life, because you can’t even imagine ever feeling happy again” (page 69).

7.      The author wrote that “Adults often think that self-confidence is something a child learns, but little kids are by their nature always invincible, its self-doubt that needs to be taught” (page 79-80).   Do you agree? 

8.      The author wrote that Christian “changed the world” (page 189) when he told Kim what his mother had told him: “‘All children are born with wings…It’s just that the world is full of people trying to tear them off…Only a few children escape.  But those children? They rise up to the skies’” (page 188).  How did this change Kim?

9.      Did you like all the quotes about art and the inclusion of various artists?  If you are not particularly interested in art, did they lead you to think about it a little differently?

10.  On page 77, Kim thought that “art isn’t chronological.”  This story was not told chronologically.  Did you like that?

11.  Ted wants his ashes scattered in a library because “you don’t have to put up with reality there” and “you can be among imaginary friends…sitting on the shelves and calling to you” (page 306).  What do your library director would think about this idea?

12.  Did you like how the story kept you guessing (at least for me) until the very end?

13.  Did you know right away who Christian’s mother was?

14.  Did you like the ending?  Were you surprised that Joar was still alive? 

15.  The author Donna Tartt is mentioned on page 306 as an author who “describes why a person falls in love with art: ‘It’s a secret whisper from an alleyway.  Psst, you.  Hey kid. Yes, you.’”   She is again mentioned in the Q and A in the back of the Barnes and Noble Book Club edition.   Why do you think she is the only living author mentioned?

16.  Did you like the last sentence?

17.  Would you recommend this book to a friend?  Why or why not?

Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell

 

Characters
Agnes Husband – Will, not named through most of novel Suanna – older sister Hamnet and Judith – twins   John – Will’s father, makes gloves, his father ousted from guild Mary – Will’s mother
Agnes’ family	Will’s family
Father – “former man of means” Rowan – mother, died giving birth to third child Bartholomew – brother, inherited farm Joan - stepmother, allowed to live on farm in will Six children – Caterina, Joanie, Margaret, Thomas, James, Richard   Falcon – Agnes’ pet, a kestrel, given to priest when married   Agnes able to see the future, could “read” people by pinching the area between their thumb and index finger	John – father, makes gloves Mary – mother Eliza – sister Anne – sister, died Two older sisters died before Eliza born Richard, Gilbert, Edmond - brothers

 

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2020 paperback edition.

1.      On pages 140 – 151 the author tells how the plague of 1596 made its way to England.   Did you find this description interesting, plausible, scary?

2.      On pages 170 and 171 the author describes Susanna playing boat while sitting on the floor in a basket.  What did you think of this description?

3.      If you were Mary, what would you have thought of Agnes as a daughter-in-law?

4.      Did you like how Will is never mentioned by name throughout the novel?

5.      Agnes and Bartholomew conspire to send Will to Strafford because they feel he needs work, to feel useful.  Was this a good decision?  Would will have written what we suppose he did if he had stayed?

6.      Judith thinks her dad stays away because he is reminded of Hamnet when he looks at her.  Susanna was very kind and listed the ways she was different from her twin.  Why do you think Will stayed away from his family so much?

7.      Why didn’t Will tell Agnes about the subject of his new play?

8.      There were no chapter headings or signals that the author was changing times in the story.  Did you like this?  Did you have trouble figuring out where you were in the timeline?

9.      Did you like/enjoy this book?  Is there a difference between ”liking” a book and appreciating the writing?