Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion … then take off on your own:
m. In hindsight, what makes Emily the perfect person for Scott Denny to hire as an au pair for his wife, Nina, and daughter, Aurelia? Consider the state of Emily's life at at the onset of the novel—her lack of money, her family relationships, and her prospects (or lack of) for the future.
m. At first, Querencia is idyllic. When did you you begin, however, to suspect that things were not quite so perfect? What was your first clue?
m. Talk about Scott and what we know about his various machinations.
m. How does Emily's nascent attraction to Scott confuse her growing intuition that things are seriously amiss?
m. The story is told through multiple perspectives—that of Emily, Scott, and Nina. How do the different viewpoints affect what we come to know and when we know it? Did the narrative strategy increase or decrease your surprise at the end? In other words, was the final revelation surprising or predictable?
m. Did your opinion of Emily change by the end of the novel? Does she rise to the level of heroine by meeting the challenges thrown her way?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)
Safe Place (Downes) - Discussion Questions
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