Shannon Hollow
Chelsey Cosh, 2014
CreateSpace
480 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781503061859
Summary
A generational saga that spans from the dirty thirties to modern day, Shannon Hollow tells the story of a small Utah community and its eclectic mix of residents.
From the spoiled and insatiable housewife to the dancing coal miner's daughter, each has their own little secret to protect.
Faith is tested. Love is put to the limits. Truth is discovered.
Welcome to Shannon Hollow.
Author Bio
• Birth—1991
• Where—Ajax, Ontario, Canada
• Rasied—Greenwood, Ontario, Canada
• Education—attended UOIT; B.A., Must University
• Currently—lives in rural southeastern Ontario, Canada
Chelsey Cosh has been writing all her life.
Formerly entertainment editor and co-webmaster of Canadian literary magazine What If, she mixes her writing with other pleasures, including her love of everything that pop culture and technology has to offer.
Her debut novel, Shannon Hollow, is set in Utah, capturing the experiences and attitudes of a small town's citizens and watching them change through the decades, moving from the dirty thirties right up to modern day. She also writes non-fiction, like Reel Talk: Irreverent Insights on Cinema and Television, a thirteen-essay collection on film and television.
Cosh lives in rural southeastern Ontario.
Visit Chelsey's Goodreads Author Page and her Amazon Central Page.
Discussion Questions
1. Motherhood is an important theme throughout the book. There are many maternal figures, regardless of whether or not they have children. Who do you feel does the best job at being a mother, biological or otherwise? Why do you feel that some characters struggle with motherhood? Do you think any characters are lacking in maternal figures and, if so, do you think this affects their own maternal instincts?
2. In what way do each of the main characters - Diane, Harriet, Wyatt, Elijah, Hector, Francis, and Ruby - reflect their background? Do you feel that any of the characters overcome their origins? Does their background ever help them meet their goals? Do you feel that any of these characters fulfilled his or her destiny?
3. Is Jo (the former beauty queen/stripper that works at Parker Brigham Luft) a good person or a bad person? Explain your impression of her character.
4. Who is Ruby's father? Consider not just biological ties but the father-daughter relationship. Explain your reasoning.
5. Consider Diane Weiss as a character. Do you find her sympathetic? Do your feelings towards her change over the course of the novel? Talk about the points in which Diane shows who she truly is.
6. Consider the many cultures that criss-cross in Shannon Hollow: Diane's French and German ancestry, Harriet's Irish heritage, Elijah's formative years in predominantly Jewish New York, Sora's Japanese lineage, Heloísa's abusive upbringing in Brazil... Considering this multicultural convergence, why do you think that Utah was chosen as the main setting? Do you feel it was an appropriate choice? Why or why not?
7. Consider the reasons why you would or would not want to visit Thistlewood. Is Thistlewood welcoming? Does it invite social gatherings or is it a hiding place? Does Thistlewood hold a deeper meaning, and, if so, what do you think that meaning is?
8. How are the marriages of Wyatt and Harriet, Elijah and Diane, and Aron and Ruby different? How are they similar? Would you consider any of these characters' marriages successful? Why or why not?
9. Luella May and Sora have markedly different marital relationships than those around them. Do you think their unique circumstances isolate them? Consider whether these characters believe their own marriage is successful. Given the chance, do you feel that these characters would adopt a more conventional relationship? Why or why not?
10. What role does religion play in Francis's life? What about Diane? Luella May? Would you consider them "good Christians"? Do you think their moral code is based on religious teachings? Why or why not? How does religion affect each character's attitudes towards sex?
11. Consider the pace of the plot. Is this book driven by the sequence of its events? Or does it focus instead on the characters and their dynamics? Which passages engage you most and why do you think that is?
12. Is the ending satisfying? Do you feel that any characters who deserved to be punished received a fitting comeuppance? If not, what would you change?
13. Consider the title of the book, "Shannon Hollow." Do you feel there is a hidden meaning attached to the title? If so, what do you think it may represent?
14. Cosh divides her story into parts based on the decades. Why? Consider the various decades that Shannon Hollow spans. Do you feel that the characters grow and mature in any major ways? How does the passing of time and the changing social mores affect the characters and their relationships? Do you think that any of the characters would have acted differently if they were part of a more modern generation? How so?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)