Ruby Among Us: Bonus Questions for Book Clubs and Reader Groups

Is your Book Club or Reader Group wanting to dig a little deeper in discussions of Ruby Among Us? Here are some bonus questions that aren’t already included in the back of the book. Feel free to print them out, rewrite them, use one of them or all of them. I hope they provide you with some thought-provoking conversations. Thank you for selecting Ruby Among Us! I really apprecate it and hope you enjoy the book:

1.   Kitty is very neutral about her heritage, calling herself an American only. Why do you think Lucy and Kitty have differing feelings about their heritage? Have you ever felt a need to research your family’s heritage? Why or why not?

 

2.   Ruby is a single mom and Kitty essentially lives as a single mom when she is raising Ruby and later as she raises Lucy. How do you think the single parent journey affected the relationship between Kitty and Ruby? How did it affect Lucy and Ruby? Kitty and Lucy? Do you think it would be hard to be a single parent? Do you think you would have made similar or different choices as a parent if you were in the same place as Kitty? How and Why?

 

3.   There are many maternal aspects in Ruby Among Us, but what about the men?  Their parts in the book may seem small, but their significance to the story is strong. Why do you think this is? How do you feel about the actions of each of the men? In what ways has their decision-making contributed to each woman’s journey?

 

4.   Why do you think Max cares for Lucy? And Lucy for Max? Do you think Lucy is mature enough to know how she feels for Max since he is the first “boy” she has ever dated? Is he too old for her? If you could write their story, what would you have happen with Max and Lucy?

 

5.   The author’s favorite scenes in the book all involve the mothers and daughters when the daughters are still very young. Can you recall any of those scenes? What do they show about each mother’s deepest desires?

 

6.   What sort of influence do you think the mothers are having on their daughters in this story? Positive? Negative?

 

7.   Lucy, Ruby and Kitty both have very different understandings, opinions, and feelings about faith. Why do you think this is?

 

8.   Why do you think Max and Susannah grow to care for Lucy even though their beliefs differ from hers?

 

9.   Why do you think Kitty’s mistakes grew to be so big that she felt her family, Blake, and even God could not forgive her? Like Kitty, have you ever felt unforgivable? How might other characters in the book answer this question?

 

10. Kitty has in deed made many mistakes, but are there things other characters in the book could have done that might have made Kitty feel differently about family, faith, and the world in general?

I’m the ACFW August Featured Author

Here is an interview I have over at ACFW where I am the Featured August Author.

From San Francisco

I’ve been in San Francisco this week tagging along on another business trip with my husband. It’s been nice to work on edits with no interruptions, but I have come up for air a few times and ventured outside of the hotel. I love San Francisco. It has character. We are blessed to be staying in the Marines Memorial Hotel, thanks to a member who graciously counted us among her guests. It’s really an amazing place.

Marine Memorial

On the 10th floor there is a memorial to soldiers who have given their lives in Iraq. We found the name of someone we know. It’s not that we knew him personally, but I met him at least once in Santa Rosa through my daughter’s Uncle and dear friend, Raymond. Patrick O’Day’s life has inspired much heroism in his friends, but especially in Raymond, who enlisted shortly after Patrick’s death. We are so proud of Raymond and it was moving to find his best friend Patrick’s name on the memorial wall at the Marines Memorial Hotel here in SF.

Ruby Among Us Sightings

While out and about, I passed by two Borders, so stopped in and signed a few copies of my books. One on Post & Powell (I think) and one inside Union Station. I have to admit that I don’t think I’ll ever get used to signing copies of my books. It’s a difficult feeling to describe. I’m always a little bit embarrassed to introduce myself.

Looking Like a Writer

Do I look like a writer in my touristy capris and Old Navy t-shirts? Of course not, but the managers of the stores, the few times I’ve  done this, have been gracious. If they think I look like a crumb of an author, they are too nice to say, so on the most part I’ll stick to my trusty jeans and capris.

Ruby Among Us is an August Books a Million Book Club Selection!

When we were in the D.C. area a few weeks ago, we tried to stop at bookstores if we happened to pass by them. Imagine how surprised we were when we walked into the Books A Million store at Dupont circle and saw a big display of Ruby Among Us near the front of the store! Ruby Among Us is part of the August nation wide Books a Million Book Club (call your store to get into a club!) and on the display, it was the FaithPoint selection right in the center! So much for playing it cool. My hubby and I couldn’t even hide our grins. We had debut author and husband written all over our silly faces.

Meeting Some of the Books a Million Staff:

I introduced myself and thanked the manager for carrying Ruby Among Us, telling him how excited I was to see such a beautiful display. He had me sign their stock.  The same thing happened when we were in Alexandria, VA. We passed by a Books a Million on King Street and the manager there also had me sign all of their copies. Both stores were great. They didn’t just have me sign a few. They had me sign them all! And there were plenty of copies.

What a wonderful and strange feeling it was as I stood there signing my copies. I looked awful in my tourist garb, it was hot, hot, hot that week so I had to be sweaty, and as one sweet employee pointed out, I looked a little young to be an author (bless her). I’m sure I didn’t look like an author, but the managers and their employees were more than gracious to me and I was just really amazed at how friendly and enthusiastic their employees were about their books.

About the Club/How You Can Get Involved:

I am still learning about Books a Million, but apparently they are really popular in the south and eastern parts of the United States. You might have one in your area. They actually will have a book club meeting in each of their stores during the month of August for Ruby Among Us, so if you want to get in on the meeting in your area, call your store and find out the date. If you buy your book beforehand, there are also some brochures next to each book with questions. If you participate, be sure to check back here for bonus questions I’ll be posting.

They picked ME?

Other past Books a Million club selections have included The Confessions of Max Tivoli, The Friday Night Knitting Club, and The Patron Saint of Liars. Other FaithPoint selections have included Embrace Me, The Convenient Groom, Where My Heart Belongs, and After the Leaves Fall. I feel so honored to be included!!

Get your Autographed Copy in the DC Area:

If you are in Dupont Circle or Alexandria and want to get one of their autographed copies of Ruby Among Us, here are the addresses:

Books-A-Million #948
11 Dupont Circle N.W.
Washington, DC 20036

Books-A-Million #117
503 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Book Plates and Phone Calls:

If you aren’t in the DC area and would like a signed book plate, just email me and I’ll send you one. Also, if your book club would like to schedule a phone call with me during one of your meetings, email me or cheri@bhccmgt.com for details.

Me at The Library of Congress!

 

In D.C., the highlight of my trip was visiting the Library of Congress. It is just an amazing place. I wish I’d realized earlier in my trip that you can get a pass that allows you into some of the reading rooms. Even without doing that, we spent two hours there and were disappointed when we realized it was closing. Of course, when we told the kids, the first thing they mentioned was National Treasure 2.

Ruby Among Us Reader’s Guide

Here are some questions for book clubs and reader groups. I also plan to post some Bonus questions for you soon! In addition, feek free ti email me questions. While I can’t post them all on this site, I will choose a few to answer for you here.

Send questions to atforkner@yahoo.com

1. Chapter 1 begins, “The first person to hold Ruby was the last person to let her go. That was her mother, Kitty.” What do you think Lucy meant by this statement?

2. Lucy, by no choice of her own, has never lived in a traditional family, but she has been sheltered first by Ruby and then by Kitty. Do you think Lucy calling her mother and grandmother by their first names indicates a healthy adaptation of family for her? a confused sense of family? What is the relationship of Lucy to her mother, Ruby? to her grandmother, Kitty? How are these different or the same?

3. What is the significance of the names Lucy and Ruby– in general and specifically to each of them?

4. What do you think of Kitty’s question upon Ruby’s death? How can God allow terrible things to happen? Why doesn’t he protect children from horrible things?

5. What questions and issues does Lucy tuck away when Ruby dies? Do you think Kitty’s efforts to keep so many secrets were to shield Lucy from pain or to protect herself? Were her intentions noble or selfish?

6. Could Lucy have become whole without learning the truth about Ruby? about Kitty? Why or why not? Did Kitty ever become whole?

7. Each woman in the novel has artistic talents and interests– piano, art, quilting, literature. What parallels do you see between Lucy’s artistic pursuits and those of Ruby and Kitty? And what parallels do you see in other aspects of the story?

8. Why do you think Lucy and Kitty keep so many of Ruby’s things?

9. How might the references to air and breath and to Ruby’s and Lucy’s asthma inhalers be symbolic?

10. When Lucy, with Max, first sees the fountain in La Rosaleda, how might its streams be meaningful to her?

11. What does the scenery in the novel–gardens, vineyards, La Rosaleda–evoke? Do the roses and vines bear any significance to the rest of the story? What parallels do you see?

12. In the end, what did Lucy mean by “a homecoming”?