1. Were you familiar with Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” before reading this novel? How did your familiarity with the story—or lack thereof—influence your reading of The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel?
2. Though much of the novel focuses on Katrina and Ichabod’s romance, in many ways Katrina and Charlotte’s friendship is the true focal point of the story. Discuss how their friendship changes the course of the story and both of their lives. In what ways is their relationship similar to or different from your own friendships?
3. In what ways might Katrina and Charlotte be viewed as feminist characters despite the restrictions on women of their time?
4. Charlotte knew what truly happened to Ichabod long before Katrina discovered it for herself. Do you think she made the right choice in keeping it from her friend? What would you have done in her position?
5. When Ichabod disappears and Katrina is left alone and pregnant, she makes a difficult decision to protect her child, without knowing whether or not Ichabod will ever return. Did you understand why she did what she did? Would you have made the same choice in her place, or would you have acted differently?
6. If Ichabod hadn’t disappeared, what do you think might have happened to Katrina, Ichabod, and their unborn child?
7. Discuss the character of Brom Van Brunt. How did you feel about him over the course of the novel? Did your feelings towards him change at any point? Are there any ways in which redemption could have been possible for his character?
8. What do you think happened to Brom Van Brunt? Do you think the outcome of his story is deserved, or was he—much like Katrina—a victim of his time period and circumstances?
9. What role does grief play in the novel and how does it consume Katrina? Do you think she dealt with it constructively? Or did her obsession with the truth prevent her from finding her way to peace sooner?
10. Stories and legends are very much at the heart of this novel. Are there any stories told about the place where you live? Do you have any family stories that have been handed down over the years? What are the ways in which stories connect the characters in this novel, and how do stories function in our own world to bring us together?
St. Martin’s Griffin