THE BOOKSHOP OF HIDDEN DREAMS

BY KAREN HAWKINS

A BOOK CLUB GUIDE

  1. Tay Dove always goes to a bookstore whenever life gets difficult. Her favorite one is Rose’s Bookstore, which is in her hometown of Dove Pond. Is there a place you like to go to when you’re stressed-out or feeling hurt? What sort of an atmosphere cheers you up on difficult days?
  2. In the beginning of The Bookshop of Hidden Dreams, Tay’s reeling from a failed relationship. As the book continues, it becomes apparent that it’s not the betrayal that hurt her so much as it was her loss of trust in her own judgment. Have you ever been betrayed by someone? Did you experience a similar loss of trust in yourself? If so, how did you overcome it?
  3. Sarafina Dove grew up in the restrictive Victorian era but found herself longing for a life of adventure. She finds the life she craves when she leaves Dove Pond and gets a job as a reporter in New York City in the 1890s. Historically, there were several famous female reporters in the 1800s—Margaret Fuller, Nellie Bly, Winifred Bonfils, and Jennie June, to name a few. At the time, being a reporter was a daring, bold career for a woman to follow. Was there ever a career you wanted to pursue because you thought it would be exciting? Did you indeed pursue it? Why or why not?
  4. Tay’s life as a researcher has led her to being alone for long stretches of time, something she’s gotten more and more comfortable with. Maybe even too comfortable with. Have you ever had a job or experienced a life circumstance that left you spending hours and even days alone? Did you enjoy that time? How did it affect you?
  5. It seems to Luke Day’s grandmother, Rose, that Luke, due to his intelligence and laid-back approach to life, has always had it easy, a fact that’s consistently worried her. She thinks that, because he’s had so little practice dealing with life’s failures, he’ll find it very difficult to face bad times. Do you think that people who’ve found life easy find it more difficult to face bad times than those who’ve had practice? Do you think a person can get good—or at least better—at dealing with sorrows and stress with experience? Or do you think it depends on a person’s personality and how he or she approaches those difficulties?