by Ellery Adams
“Okay,” she said calmly. “Come on out now. You obviously waited for me to close, but why?”
Nora caught movement off to her left. A very thin, girlish-looking woman stepped out of the shadows of the fiction section. She approached the checkout counter slowly, almost fearfully. Nora noticed that her cheap flip-flops and floral housedress were several sizes too big. She held the HELP WANTED sign in her hand. Encircling her bony wrist was a plastic hospital-identification bracelet.
“Please,” she whispered. “I need a job.”
Nora came out from behind the counter. Very gently, so as not to spook her visitor, she said, “What you need is something to eat. Follow me.”
When Nora rounded a corner, she glanced back to catch the girl caressing the spine of a particularly colorful book. She knew right then that the stranger would be staying for more than just a scone.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
THE SECRET, BOOK & SCONE SOCIETY
Ellery Adams
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are included to enhance your group’s reading of Ellery Adams’s
The Secret, Book & Scone Society.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
One of the best things about finishing a book is discussing it with a friend. Or even better, a group of friends. When we share our thoughts and feelings about characters, plots, and settings, even an old book can gain fresh life. So pour the coffee, pass the scones, get comfy, and use this reader’s guide to help spark a fun and lively discussion.
1. What kind of miracles does Miracle Springs offer?
2. What brings Nora, Hester, Estella, and June together and why are they able to form a friendship and open up to each other at this particular time in their lives?
3. Do you believe in “Bibliotherapy”? Can you heal by reading about others in similar circumstances?
4. What do you make of June and those cats?
5. Would you like to live in Nora’s Caboose Cottage? Why or why not?
6. There are many literary references in The Secret, Book & Scone Society. Did any hold particular meaning for you?
7. Some of the most famous works of literature involve a scarred man. His damage is often romanticized. How do you feel about stories that involve less-than-attractive women, scarred and/or deformed women?
8. Have you ever been treated differently because of your gender?
9. Which of the villains seems to have more depth? Were you able to feel sympathy for any of them? If so, why?
10. How do you feel about Nora and Jed as a couple? Do you think they have a future together?
11. Did any of the Secret, Book and Scone Society members say or do something that surprised, delighted, or angered you? Please share.
12. What kinds of activities do you consider therapeutic?
13. Every scone starts with the same basic recipe. Do you have a favorite flavor?
14. Did you feel differently about Nora after she shared her secret?
15. What predictions could be drawn from the final scene involving the stranger and the Help Wanted sign?
