Forgotten Roses (Doucette) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
1. At the outset, the protagonist, Rebecca Griffin, seems stuck and unsettled.  What is the turning point that begins to push her forward

2. Rebecca’s family and culture has had an enormous influence on the her, in both good ways and bad. Her upbringing had essentially created a blueprint for living.  What are the ways in which they have held her back, and the ways in which they have strengthened her.

3. What are the parallels among the journeys of each of the main characters—Rebecca, Dana and Serena.

4. How have Rebecca’s past choices affected her children’s choices and behavior?  And what legacy does she leave them in the end?

5. How does this quote from The Forgotten Roses resonate with you in your own life: “We unwittingly fashion our futures from the patterns of our past.”

6. In this day and age, is there a clear difference between a “good girl” and a “bad girl” or are the lines “blurred” as the pop song suggests?  Are there good girls and bad girls in the story?

7. One of the elements in the story is the historical and systematic attempt to manipulate the “moral reform” of girls and women in society.  (Although not mentioned by name in the book, the Magdalene Asylums are a good example of that).  Was it a shock to learn that not long ago a young woman could be incarcerated for “shaming her family?”  Do you feel that inequities in the justice system exist today for women?

8. In the end, there were no definitive answers regarding Deitzhoff’ and the goings on at the log cabin.  The characters had to make choices without the benefit of the clear-cut information they sought.  Was this lack of neatly tied-up loose-ends troubling, or merely a fact of life?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

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