4. As her publisher, did Jack deserve to know the truth about Lilly’s writing? Lilly held back and didn’t reveal her identity. Should she have trusted him to keep her secret? If so, at what point in the story had he proven himself loyal to her?
5. Jack’s faith grew during the course of the story. He read Scripture and took it to heart, but he relied more on himself than on God—until he realized he couldn’t find solutions to his problems on his own. Does he have an inner flaw which prevents him from turning to the Lord sooner? Do you see a flaw within yourself? Does it keep you from drawing closer to God?
6. Lilly’s social group ostracized its members for defying their standards of behavior. Why would they “shun” offenders no matter how trivial their infractions? Do you think this helped to keep their values intact or just cause people to hide their offences? How does this 19th-century society compare to our own?
7. How did Lilly’s and Jack’s backgrounds affect their attitudes, values, and behaviors? Who do you think had the better upbringing? Why?
8. In what ways did Lilly’s mother change from the beginning to the end of the story? What caused her to open her mind and begin to think differently?
9. How do you think wealth effected Lilly, Jack, their families, and friends? In what ways did it benefit them and in what ways did it harm them? How did their faith influence their lives?
10. Irene was pragmatic but unscrupulous. Did her childhood poverty explain or excuse her selfish behavior? Was she evil or merely weak? How did her lies hurt the Westbrooks? Did she suffer any consequences for her misdeeds?
Table of Contents
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Acknowledgments
Reading Group guide
Love on a Dime Page 29
